That Way
by Jewels12
Summary: What if Lorelai...and the rest of Stars Hollow accompanied Luke on the infamous Cruise? Romance and Comedy are a plenty! COMPLETE
1. Goodbye

Authors Note: I do not own anything even vaguely related to the Gilmore Girls, but I can dream can't I?

Debrief: The following takes place subsequent to Rory's graduation ceremony as Luke and Lorelai exchange good-byes.

Why didn't I hug him? I should have hugged him. Lorelai thought to herself as Luke, her best friend and devoted coffee supplier unknowingly trudged away. She wouldn't be seeing him for two months, two whole months…without Luke…without Luke's coffee.

Lorelai and Rory were leaving on their backpacking adventure through Europe in the morning, and Luke was soon to depart on an adventure of his own. He and his girlfriend Nicole were going on a 'romantic' Alaskan cruise. Lorelai was genuinely happy for Luke, why shouldn't she be? He really seemed to enjoy Nicole's company.

Why is he so afraid to commit to her? Lorelai was once again deep in thought, and once again her thoughts involved Luke. I know its Luke, a.k.a. "Lord of the Loners," but there has to be more behind his hesitation to accept Nicole's invitation. What exactly did he mean when he asked me if I was ok with him going on the cruise? Of course I'm ok with it. Sometimes I just don't understand that guy.

"Hey mom!" Shouted Rory.

"Hey I missed you!" Lorelai embraced the distraction from her nagging thoughts.

"I just saw you like five minutes ago."

"Did I tell you how proud I am of you?" Lorelai asked, ignoring Rory's previous comment.

"The first twelve times you said it kinda gave it away."

"Well this graduation thing is a huge deal. I'd say this even edges out our Yoko Ono Marathon!"

"Tout Chez"

"Ready to head home kiddo?"

"Definitely. This is the longest day ever!"

"No. The longest day ever was when we were forced to watch Kirk's homemade movies." Lorelai stated matter-of-factly

"Oh. Painful memories!"

"Well I'd say we should stay longer and admire the scenery, but I'd be lying!" Lorelai teased.

"Home it is." Rory breathed a sigh of relief.

"Amen!"

To Be Continued - Please R/R cause you know you wanna!


	2. Surprise!

Disclaimer: Same as before - You get the drift!

Now, on with the story -

A rather intoxicated group of Stars Hollow's finest inhabitants enthusiastically greeted Rory and Lorelai upon returning home from the graduation ceremony. The "townies" had gathered on the lawn in front of the Gilmore household.

"Point me towards the punch!" Lorelai exclaimed, eager to participate in the festivities.

"Right over there sugar." Babette stammered to her feet to aid Lorelai in her quest.

Lorelai helped herself to some punch, which just so happened to be placed on the table directly in front of Sookie.

"It was sush a bootiful seremony hon." Sookie slurred her words in a drunken stupor. Lorelai was amused at the sight of her rosy-cheeked friend.

"Don't mind her Lorelai, she's had a few too many," stated Jackson who was sitting opposite Sookie.

"I gathered as much." Lorelai replied jokingly. "This was so sweet of you all to throw a party for 'our little graduate.' Speaking of which, where is Rory?"

"I just saw her a second ago dear," proclaimed Miss Patty. She too was unmistakably inebriated.

"I better go check on her myself… you know…just to be sure," Lorelai stated with slight concern as her maternal instincts kicked in.

Meanwhile.

Luke had dropped by the after-party in hopes to speak with Lorelai. Instead, a pleasantly surprised Rory greeted him.

"Luke! What are you doing here?!"

"Oh…I uh...I just uh came to see what all the commotion was about." He was noticeably uncomfortable.

"I think the town is using my graduating as a convenient excuse to 'celebrate' if you know what I mean." Rory attempted to lighten the mood.

Luke laughed, and indeed the tension began to release. "This town will use any excuse to put their drinking hats on. And by the way, your graduating is certainly worthy of a celebration!"

"Thanks Luke!" Rory smiled sincerely. "I'll go tell mom you're here."

"Wait, just a sec..." Before Luke could finish Rory had disappeared out of sight.

Rory approached her mother as she was settling nicely into the hooch. Lorelai was not one to let things such as alcohol go to waste. "Mom!" Rory shouted out of breath. "Someone's here to see you."

"You shot who in the what now?! " Lorelai answered in a state of confusion.

"Luke! Luke is here to see you. I can't believe he actually came. That is so un-Luke."

"What do you mean he's here to see me? It's your party, heh heh." Lorelai laughed nervously as she felt all eyes on her. Whenever the subject of Luke came up, the Stars Hollow gang seemed extremely attentive and curious to say the least. "Why don't you tell him to come join the party hon?"

"I think he'd prefer if you did. You know how uncomfortable he gets in these situations, in any situation."

"Oh, alright then. Sookie be a dear and save my seat. I got me a prime drinking seat! Be back in a sec." And with that, Lorelai stumbled forward, regained her balance and proceeded in Luke's direction.

To be continued R/R - I love feedback - thanks to those who already reviewed, I really appreciate it!


	3. Dreams

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Enough said

Luke was nervously pacing about as Lorelai giddily approached him. He could tell right away that she was a little loopy, her dazed and confused look hinted as much.

"Hiya Luke! Watcha doin here?" Lorelai shrieked in a high-pitched tone.

"Why does everyone keep asking me that? Is it so out of character for me to partake in a town activity?" Luke sounded slightly annoyed, not so out of character.

"Well duh!" Lorelai responded sarcastically. Sarcasm was her forte both drunk and sober.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Now Luke sounded offended.

"It means…well, it just means that…Luke, why are you really here?" Lorelai abruptly changed the subject. "You and I both know how ridiculous your previous statement was, and I'm half drunk!" She laughed at herself. "So tell me honestly Luke, why are you here?" Lorelai forced herself to be serious for a moment.

Luke sensed that their conversation had taken a serious turn and grew increasingly nervous as a result, although Lorelai always made Luke nervous. "I uh…well I, I had this dream." There, I finally said it, he thought proudly to himself.

"You had this dream," Lorelai echoed. "And?"

"And…you were in it."

"And I was in it." Lorelai was surprised, yet intrigued. "And?"

Luke didn't exactly know how to reveal the events of his dream. He decided it would be easiest to get right to the point. "And…you told me not to get engaged." Luke breathed a sigh of relief as he waited in anticipation of Lorelai's response.

"When did you have this dream?" Lorelai seemed almost un-phased by Luke's revelation. Had she not heard him? Luke was amazed by her reaction.

"Right after the graduation ceremony. I barely finished closing the diner and I fell right asleep." Luke was now speaking with greater comfort and ease. It wasn't as hard as he thought it would be.

"I told you not to get engaged?" Lorelai's brain was just now receiving the message. "Engaged to whom?" now she was playing dumb; or was it the alcohol. Yes undoubtedly the alcohol.

"Who do you think?" Luke replied in an exasperated tone.

"Well I don't know that's why I asked!" returned Lorelai, equally exasperated.

"Oh for Pete's sake Lorelai! It's Nicole! You know, the woman I've been seeing for the past few months, or did that just slip your mind?"

"Simmer down big guy - it was a dream. You could have been dating The Pope for god's sake!"

"Aw geez! You really know how to twist something with that twisted mind of yours, don't you?"

"Luke, will you just get on with it already?!" Lorelai was growing impatient. "So I told you not to get engaged to Nicole," she emphasized her name. "Now why would I do a thing like that?"

Luke had to think for a moment. He knew the answer he wanted to hear, but he wouldn't dare say it. "Well, I don't know why you would do that, or what it means exactly. I was hoping that maybe you could help me out with that one."

"Lorelai was taken aback by Luke's forwardness. "Um, I guess it means that I don't want you to marry Nicole," Lorelai explained simplistically.

To be continued Aren't cliffhangers great?! Please R/R 


	4. Silence Is Broken

Thanks to all those who reviewed!  
  
Disclaimer: Same as before - this is becoming quite tedious  
  
*Meanwhile, back at the party:  
  
"Sookie! What are you doing?" shouted a shocked and appalled Rory.  
  
"Whadda ya mean hon? Sookie was genuinely confused.  
  
"Hello, you're drinking! Aren't you forgetting something, like you're pregnant?!"  
  
"Rory! Jackson swiftly interrupted. "Can I see you for a minute?"  
  
"Uh sure, I guess." Rory turned her attention back to Sookie. "I'll deal with you later missy!"  
  
Jackson led Rory to a quiet location on the Gilmore property, away from the hustle and bustle.  
  
"Rory, let me explain," Jackson began. "Sookie is not actually drinking." Seeing Rory's bemused expression, he continued; "I mean, she's drinking, but she's not drinking-drinking." Still confused. "It's club soda!"  
  
"Club soda? Then why is she acting drunk?" questioned Rory.  
  
"That's precisely it! It's just an act. She's convinced herself that there is indeed alcohol in her drink, and I don't have the heart to tell her otherwise. It's all in good fun, I guess."  
  
"I see," Rory replied, not entirely persuaded. "So what's everyone else drinking?"  
  
"Everyone else is drinking genuine alcohol in the form of vodka. The punch packs a good punch!" Jackson was amused at himself. Rory too was impressed by his comedic hyperbole.  
  
"Well good, I mean its good that there's laced punch. What's a party without laced punch? Heh heh." Rory was rambling.  
  
"Yeah, well I'd better go check on Sookie, make sure she hasn't found the real stuff yet! I'm glad we had this talk." Jackson wandered back towards the crowd. Rory simply rolled her eyes in an effort to dismiss this peculiar behavior as typical of Star's Hollow inhabitants.  
  
*And in another corner of the Gilmore grounds - Lorelai and Luke continued their conversation:  
  
"You don't want me to marry Nicole?" Luke thought aloud. He was stunned, but in a good way.  
  
"I guess not," Lorelai said plainly. Her expression was difficult to read.  
  
"You're serious?" Luke was still in shock and so unsure. In all his life, he could never have imagined having this conversation with Lorelai.  
  
"Do you want me to be?" Now it was her turn to ask the questions.  
  
Luke continued thinking aloud; "Then I shouldn't go on the cruise. I can't lead her on."  
  
"What are you saying Luke?" Lorelai's throat was dry, she was unnaturally nervous. Their conversation had become quite intimate and she was hardly prepared for it.  
  
"I'm saying," started Luke, and without realizing, he continued; "I'm saying, that I'm not going to marry Nicole."  
  
"You're not?" Lorelai still wasn't sure where this conversation was headed.  
  
"No," Luke stated firmly and with an abnormal amount of confidence.  
  
"Why?" Lorelai knew the reason subconsciously, but on a conscious level, she couldn't have been any more blind.  
  
"Well, you can't marry someone - when you're in love with someone else, can you?" Luke surprised himself with this sudden burst of honesty. There was no going back now.  
  
And then she saw 'it' - that look in his eyes. For the first time in her life she was speechless. She tried desperately to speak, to break the silence, but to no avail.  
  
Luke took advantage of the unconventional silence and caressed Lorelai's face with his hand. Neither could breathe. The two were about to cross the point of no return, when suddenly, the beautiful silence was broken.  
  
"Mom? Everyone's leaving mom, where are you?" Rory's timing was impeccable.  
  
Lorelai vigorously pushed Luke away, his face merely inches apart from her own. "Uh, right over here hon," She struggled to finish the sentence, her heart pounding fiercely.  
  
Luke was beyond embarrassed as Rory approached them and reality set in. He and Lorelai, the woman of his dreams, were finally in a compromising position, a moment so precious, only to be spoiled by an unassuming teenager. "Hey mom, hey Luke. Just thought I'd let you know that the party has officially ended. Everybody is going home."  
  
"Ok hon - thanks. I'll be right over. Luke was just leaving - weren't you Luke?" Lorelai was being presumptuous.  
  
"Oh, uh yeah-right. I was just leaving. Listen, Lorelai-  
  
"Have fun on your cruise!" Lorelai interrupted. She and Rory waved goodbye and returned to their house.  
  
Luke cringed at the sound of her words. How could she dismiss him like that? Had she not felt it, that magic, that electricity that pulsated through his veins? They had shared an indescribable moment that was sure to become intensely passionate had it not been interrupted. Was she going to pretend that it didn't happen? Was she ashamed that it had happened? Luke had so many questions and grew nauseous at the thought.  
  
-He would go on the cruise  
  
*Later that night:  
  
"Mom, what's wrong? You hardly touched your pizza." Rory was concerned  
  
"I think I've made a terrible mistake!" Lorelai was embarrassed to admit it. "Change of plans hon."  
  
"What do you mean?" Rory was sure she didn't want to know.  
  
"We're goin on a cruise!!"  
  
*To be continued! R/R please 


	5. Goin On A Cruise!

*Thanks again to those who reviewed - it's always appreciated  
  
Disclaimer: Read the last 4 chapters and then you'll know  
  
"Going on a cruise? No, I think you're mistaken. Luke and Nicole are going on a cruise. We are going to Europe!" Rory was taking over the parental role.  
  
"But Rory," Lorelai pleaded. "I really wanna go on a cruise - we can do Europe next year!"  
  
"What has gotten into you? Are you ill?"  
  
"Does a person have to be ill to want to go on a cruise?"  
  
"In your case, yes!"  
  
"Oh, I see, and why may I ask is that?" Lorelai was becoming agitated.  
  
"Because - we've been planning this trip to Europe for months; we've invested so much time, we've bought so many outfits, put forth so much effort, and hey, did I mention the clothes that we bought - cause they're not showing themselves off!"  
  
"You're right! Damn those shy clothes!"  
  
"Yeah, well you'd be shy too if you were put in a dark closet full of snobby, used clothes," Rory stated with authority.  
  
"I can't argue with that. Wow - I suddenly have the urge to go shopping - and to install a camera in my closet so I can see how my clothes actually converse with one another."  
  
"Ok - way off topic here. Now what's all this talk about a cruise?"  
  
"Uh, well, I dunno. Don't you think a cruise would be fun? Much more fun than dull, boring Europe - bleh." Lorelai was trying hard to convince herself. She too had been looking very forward to their European getaway.  
  
"Wait a minute!" Rory finally clued in. "Does this sudden change of heart have anything to do with Luke?"  
  
"Would you believe me if I said no?"  
  
"No! Mom, have you gone completely bonkers?"  
  
"I screwed up really big this time - ok? I need to make things right again. Just trust me on this one." Lorelai paused for a moment before she continued. "So how about it hon, are we ocean bound?  
  
"Do I have a choice?"  
  
"Um, not really, no."  
  
"Then I guess we're goin on a cruise!"  
  
*At the Diner  
  
Luke was on the phone with Nicole - "Yeah, I'm looking forward to it too. Yeah. Ok, me too. Bye." Luke hung up the phone. He hated lying to Nicole, but he couldn't back out now. He had committed to this cruise, to this relationship - and that was that. They would be departing in three days, three painstakingly long days, to dwell on 'what might have been' with Lorelai. -Luke dreamt of Lorelai  
  
*The next morning (two days until departure)  
  
Lorelai tossed and turned all night; the previous days events still mystified her. She and Luke had been friends for as long as she could remember, and then suddenly, the inevitable happened. Lorelai was afraid to admit it, but she let her guard down. Something about Luke's touch, his warm embrace, completely paralyzed her. She was helpless and gave in to temptation, or was about to, before Rory showed up. Thank god Rory showed up - Lorelai thought to herself, as she lay sprawled across her bed. She still wasn't quite ready to explore the unknown with Luke. So many thoughts filled Lorelai's head; sleep was no longer an option. With great effort, she crawled out of bed and quietly headed downstairs. To her surprise, Rory was already awake and munching on leftover pizza at the kitchen table.  
  
"Morning mom, how did ya sleep?"  
  
"Like a baby, as usual!" she lied. "Hey, gimme some of that," Lorelai lunged for the cold, inedible-looking pizza. "Mmmm - what would the world be like without pizza?"  
  
"Very dark and very scary. I would definitely not want to be here for it, cause I'd starve to death!"  
  
"Yeah - creepy thought, change of subject desperately needed!"  
  
"How about a joke - do you know any jokes, cause I've got nothing."  
  
Lorelai thought for a moment. "What's green and has five wheels?"  
  
"Ummm - I dunno, what?"  
  
"Grass!"  
  
"Grass? But, what about the wheels?" Rory was genuinely confused.  
  
"Yeah, I lied about the wheels," Lorelai laughed giddily.  
  
"Mom! That is so not fair!"  
  
"Well life isn't fair - now lets get rolling here kiddo. We have a million and one things to do today. For starters, we have to find out when our precious cruise departs, and of course, we have to buy our tickets."  
  
"What's all this 'we' stuff? Might I remind you that this cruise business was all your idea?" Rory was a tad annoyed.  
  
"Well then, if this is the thanks I get - This cruise is gonna be a blast Rory, but we need to enjoy every aspect of it 'together'."  
  
"You're relentless! Ok," Rory gave in. "Lets go do some detective work."  
  
"Yippee! I love ya!"  
  
* After a long, hard, exhausting day of eavesdropping, or researching as Lorelai termed it, the girls returned home.  
  
"Do you think Luke saw us?" Lorelai inquired.  
  
"If he did, he probably thought he was seeing our ghosts. We are supposed to be in Europe right now, remember?"  
  
"We have ghosts? Cool! What are their names?"  
  
Rory rolled her eyes - "I'm going to bed. Night mom."  
  
"Goodnight, spy-buddy!"  
  
Lorelai and Rory had gathered nearly all of the information they sought after. However, there was still the matter of buying their tickets; they would do that tomorrow - no rush.  
  
*To be continued Please R/R! 


	6. The More, The Merrier

Thanks for the reviews, and keep em coming!  
  
Disclaimer: same old, same old - its story time!  
  
*The following afternoon - one day until departure Lorelai was at Sookie's house; Jackson was busy doing Jackson things.  
  
"Lorelai!" Sookie exclaimed. She was flabbergasted at the sight of her friend. "Why aren't you in Europe? What happened? Is Rory ok?"  
  
"Whoa, Sookie, calm down! Rory is fine; everything is fine. Europe just isn't going to happen this year," it pained Lorelai to say it.  
  
"I don't understand - you guys were looking so forward to it. Lorelai, what's up?"  
  
"Something happened at Rory's graduation party; something I'm not exactly proud of -something involving Luke." Lorelai hesitated to finish her thought.  
  
"Oh, oh my." Sookie's expression changed rapidly into an anxious grin.  
  
"It's not like that Sookie; well it is - but it's not. Oh, I don't know. I'm saying everything wrong." Lorelai was visibly flustered.  
  
"Talk to me hon. Tell me what's bothering you."  
  
"All I know for sure is that I need to make things right again with Luke. So-Rory and I are going on a cruise!"  
  
"Oooh a cruise, how fun! But, why a cruise?"  
  
"Because Sookie, Luke is going on a cruise with Nicole. I have to talk to him, and my going on the cruise is the only way. I can't sit on this."  
  
"I see. Does Luke know?"  
  
"No -and I'd like to keep it that way, ok?" Lorelai glared at Sookie with an expression that would have even prevented Miss Patty (the queen of gossip) from gossiping.  
  
"Ok, ok. No gossiping, gotcha."  
  
"Sookie, there is one more thing -" Lorelai paused for a reaction.  
  
"What? What is it?" Sookie felt as though she was entrapped in a real-life soap opera.  
  
"I need you to come with me!"  
  
"Come with you where?" Sookie was a little slow sometimes.  
  
"On the cruise Sookie! Where else?" Lorelai's impatience was swelling.  
  
"You need me to go on the cruise," Sookie confirmed. "Why do you need me to go on the cruise?"  
  
"I need you there for emotional support. I don't think I can do this on my own."  
  
"But Lorelai, you've got Rory."  
  
"I haven't exactly filled her in on all the 'Luke details' yet."  
  
"Oh," Sookie was confused - a feeling that she had been experiencing quite frequently throughout this conversation.  
  
"I need to figure things out first, you know, before Rory gets involved."  
  
"I understand." Finally, the words Lorelai had been waiting to hear. It may have taken her a while, but Sookie eventually clued in, she always did. "What about Jackson?"  
  
"Jackson can come too. The more the merrier, right?"  
  
"Right! Enough said; Jackson and I are on board - tee hee hee hee - no pun intended!"  
  
Lorelai laughed at her easily amused friend. "Are you sure Jackson will be ok with it?"  
  
"Oh he'll love it! I'm so excited - it'll be like a second honeymoon! Sookie was giddy with delight.  
  
"Terrific! Sookie I'm so glad you're coming. Now lets go get us some tickets, shall we?"  
  
"We shall, we shall! Umm, where exactly are we cruising to?"  
  
"Alaska! Won't it be fun? Cold, but fun," Lorelai was quite the saleswoman.  
  
"Uh, yeah - right! Well what are we waiting for, lets go!" Sookie's unfettered enthusiasm could brighten anyone's day, even Taylor's.  
  
*As afternoon becomes night, Sookie and Lorelai, with tickets in hand, attempt to reveal their exciting news to Jackson. It was lucky they got tickets too, apparently there were only four tickets left at the travel agency - how convenient!  
  
"What? Sookie are you crazy? Have you lost your mind?" Jackson obviously wasn't taking the news too well.  
  
"Jackson, this was supposed to be good news! Why aren't you happy, you're supposed to be happy!"  
  
Lorelai was slowly inching towards the door to escape the madness.  
  
"And just where do you think you're going?" Jackson startled Lorelai. "I'm guessing you're the one behind all this."  
  
Damn, I was that close, Lorelai thought. "Look Jackson, I know what you must be thinking, but believe me, this cruise is going to be really great. And since we bought the last of tickets, we got a super discount!"  
  
"Oh boy, that's another thing - Sookie, how are we going to pay for this?" Jackson was beyond frustrated.  
  
"Uh, I better go Sook. Call me later." This time, Lorelai snuck out successfully. Jackson's mind was certainly occupied.  
  
"Ok, bye hon," Sookie sighed, knowing she had a long night ahead of her.  
  
*Lorelai and Rory spent a large part of the night packing, well talking and packing, ok - mostly talking, but there was some packing going on. Finally, the phone rang and Lorelai grabbed it after a single ring.  
  
"Lorelai?" asked Sookie.  
  
"Sookie?" answered Lorelai.  
  
"Yeah, its me."  
  
"So? Are we still good to go?" Lorelai's curiosity was running wild.  
  
"Yeah, we're still good to go," Sookie confirmed, although not wholeheartedly.  
  
"What is it Sook? You don't sound so thrilled."  
  
"Well, it's just that - Jackson is really upset with me, and I'm afraid he'll drain all the romance out of this vacation."  
  
"Aw, I'm so sorry Sookie, it's all my fault. I shouldn't have pressured you to go."  
  
"Don't worry about it Lorelai. I'm sure he'll sleep it off He tends to overreact to things in general."  
  
"Well they don't call a cruise ship 'the love boat' for no reason. You guys are going to have a great time, I promise."  
  
"I hope so - well, I better get packing. Jackson and I will meet you at your place in the morning. Hopefully by then I will have smoothed things over. Goodnight Lorelai!"  
  
"Night Sookie!"  
  
*To be continued Please R/R 


	7. It's Go Time!

Reviews are my motivation (hint, hint) - please keep reviewing everybody!  
  
Its story time -  
  
*The following morning  
  
"Mom! Mom, get up! Sookie and Jackson are gonna be here any minute now!" Rory shouted semi-unconsciously.  
  
"What! What time is it?" Lorelai could barely open her eyes to look at her alarm clock that conveniently wasn't set. "Oh my god, it's 5:15! Get it in gear sister, it's go time!  
  
The thought of moving exhausted Rory. "Hey, did I mention that this cruise was so not a good idea?!"  
  
"Aw - hon, you're just saying that because." An extremely annoying doorbell interrupted Lorelai's thought. "Yeah, this cruise was a bad idea!" Lorelai admitted.  
  
The girls bolted downstairs; well it was more of a fast walk, but in their severe state of fatigue, they could have been running a marathon. Lorelai opened the front door with great effort. Sookie and Jackson eagerly greeted their fellow travellers.  
  
"Good morning!" Sookie blissfully exclaimed.  
  
"Bah!" returned Lorelai.  
  
"Don't mind her, somebody woke up on the wrong side of the bed," Rory eyed Lorelai. "Why don't you guys come in and relax." Rory had taken on the role of hostess after her mother's previous outburst.  
  
Sookie and Jackson stepped inside the Gilmore home. "What a splendid day for cruising," stated Jackson. He seemed to be in high spirits. That Sookie was a miracle worker.  
  
"Yes it certainly is Jackson!" Sookie wholeheartedly agreed. "Let's hurry up, so we don't miss the cruise! Sookie was sickeningly excited, and slightly pushy.  
  
Lorelai had been waiting for this moment to pull out the sarcasm. "Sookie, why on earth would we want to miss the cruise? Why would we want to drop our heavy bags and go back to sleep and."  
  
"And - that's enough out of you!" Rory hastily interrupted. Now let's put our happy faces on and get ready. Sookie, Jackson, we'll only be a minute." And with that, the girls returned upstairs.  
  
*20 painful minutes later  
  
"Are you sure we have everything?" questioned Rory.  
  
"Yes I'm sure - now let's go." Lorelai was impatient and quite agitated.  
  
"Um, do you have your tickets?" Sookie nervously inquired.  
  
"Do we have our tickets? Sookie, I'm shocked that you would ask such a thing!" Lorelai looked towards the floor as though she was scheming something. "I'll be right back, I um forgot to um, feed the dog." She ran upstairs, this time she was actually running.  
  
Rory simply shook her head in disbelief. "This is going to be a very long day!" Sookie and Jackson nodded in agreement.  
  
*At the airport  
  
"We're here, we're here, tee hee hee hee!" Sookie was ecstatic.  
  
"Sookie! This is the airport - it's not Disney World!" Lorelai was amazed at Sookie's level of enthusiasm, although under normal circumstances, Lorelai too would have been genuinely excited. At that particular moment however, Lorelai's nerves were violently overtaking her.  
  
"I hate planes," Jackson moaned."  
  
"Well, maybe planes hate you!" Sookie giggled hysterically.  
  
"I'm hungry," stated Rory.  
  
"Me too!" Lorelai, Jackson and Sookie agreed in unison.  
  
"Hallelujah! Let's get some grub!" Lorelai was slowly becoming herself again. Food always served as a perfect distraction.  
  
*After a satisfying feed of chilli dogs and fries, the gang gathered their belongings and headed towards their boarding gate.  
  
"Flight 712 to Vancouver BC is now boarding," a voice echoed over the loudspeaker.  
  
"Crap! Everybody run - run like you've never run before!" Sookie was like a drill sergeant.  
  
"So, we're catching a flight to Vancouver, and then we're cruising from Vancouver to Alaska?" Rory was confirming, while desperately out of breath.  
  
"Yep, and we're cruising all throughout Alaska, hence the term "Alaskan Cruise," Lorelai added, also very deprived of oxygen.  
  
"We made it, we made it! Now, I just need to collapse on the floor for about an hour," Sookie sighed as they reached their boarding area.  
  
"We can all have a nice sleep on the plane Sook," Lorelai said sincerely, because she too undoubtedly needed a rest. -The four of them entered the plane and took their assigned seats, across the aisle from each other. Within minutes, Sookie, Jackson and Rory were sound asleep, and it was then for Lorelai that reality finally set in. We're going on a cruise - Lorelai cringed at the thought. She needed a drink to ease her tension. As the flight attendant approached her, Lorelai requested a scotch on the rocks. -Two hours, and 4 drinks later, the bathroom was truly beckoning. Lorelai shakily stood up and wobbled in that direction.  
  
*Meanwhile, at another end of the plane, Luke and Nicole were enjoying a relaxing flight. Her head rested on his shoulder as she slept soundly. Luke's mind was wandering, making sleep impossible. He thought about Lorelai, and as he did, she walked right past him. He immediately dismissed it as a figure of his imagination, yet his heart fluttered as a result. Upon returning from the restroom, Lorelai again walked past Luke, she was oblivious and drunk, he was beyond himself. Had he actually seen her? She had appeared not once, but twice, directly before him. He could barely breathe, let alone make sense of any of it. Still, he simply shrugged his shoulders and tried desperately to clear his mind.  
  
Lorelai eventually returned to her seat. Her head was spinning, yet her nerves had miraculously relaxed. Soon, her eyes closed and she helplessly crossed the threshold into dreamland.  
  
*Vancouver BC is the place to be -The plane landed, and it was only then that the weary travellers awoke from their states of rest.  
  
"Where the hell are we?" Lorelai questioned in a drunken stupor  
  
"Vancouver!" Rory informed her seemingly delirious mother. "Have you had anything to drink?" It was a fair assumption.  
  
"Of course not! How dare you accuse me of sush a thing." She was slurring her words. "Is this a dream?"  
  
"I hope not - cause I am loving this!! Sookie shrieked with delight.  
  
"Oh yeah, me too. Hooray for cruising!" Jackson was a terrible actor.  
  
-At last, they departed the plane and awaited the shuttle-bus that would ultimately transport them to their cruise ship.  
  
*To be continued Please R/R cause it makes me happy! 


	8. Enough With The Surprises Already!

Again, I must casually remind everyone that reviews are greatly appreciated (hint, hint) -Keep em coming  
  
Now, on with the story:  
  
-There were two shuttle buses awaiting the passengers of the plane. Only those going on the cruise were permitted aboard. Lorelai, Rory, Jackson and Sookie retrieved their tickets and entered the first bus. Without warning, all four of their jaws simultaneously dropped to the floor. They were completely astonished at the scene before them.  
  
"Rory!" Lorelai aggressively shouted, "Please tell me I'm dreaming this time!"  
  
"Nope - this is more like a nightmare!" Rory replied.  
  
Kirk, Miss Patty, Babette and Morey; Star's Hollow's finest, welcomed their neighbours with open arms. "This cruise was a marvellous idea!" Miss Patty devilishly winked at Lorelai.  
  
"Excuse me for sounding rude Patty, but what the hell are you doing here?" Lorelai was still in shock and undoubtedly enraged.  
  
"Isn't it obvious Lorelai? We're going on a cruise of course." Patty was being difficult.  
  
"Don't patronize me - how did you know we were going on this cruise?" Lorelai was innately curious.  
  
"Lorelai my dear, I make it my business to know everything, your personal affairs are no exception."  
  
"God, why can't you just - man," Lorelai thought it best not to finish her sentence. "This is like something out of a very bad movie!" She was trying her best to make light of the situation.  
  
"Lorelai sugar, cruise ships are pretty huge. Chances are, we wont even see each other," Babette attempted to alleviate the tension.  
  
"Yeah, I guess you're right," Lorelai was beginning to calm down. "I just don't get it though, I was so careful this time. Sookie, did you spill the beans?"  
  
"No Lorelai, I swear!" There was something about Sookie's tone of voice that Lorelai didn't trust; she chose to ignore it however.  
  
"Alright, I give up." Lorelai helplessly slumped down into an empty seat.  
  
"Oh, Lorelai," Kirk began.  
  
"Oh, god!" Lorelai could sense another unsettling surprise in store.  
  
"I hope you don't mind, but I requested that my cabin be next to yours on the ship - you know, for insurance purposes.  
  
"Kirk! What are you talking about?" Lorelai was getting a migraine.  
  
"Well let me explain; in case I find myself in an intoxicated state, which is very possible as my mother isn't around, I may mistake my room for the room adjacent to mine, thereby disturbing whomever is inside. Since I already know you, then you may not necessarily be inclined to strike out violently against me. I always plan ahead."  
  
"Where have all the sane people gone?" Kirk's story was desperately far- fetched, even for Kirk, Lorelai thought. "Rory, next time I have a ridiculous idea that involves going on a cruise, promise mommy that you'll have her committed!"  
  
"Sure thing," an amused Rory agreed quite hastily.  
  
Before Lorelai could comment on her seditious daughter, she was interrupted by Babette. "Lorelai sugar, I almost forgot - Patty and I got ya a little somethin."  
  
"Enough with the surprises already!" Lorelai paused briefly, then prompted -"Well, what did ya get me?"  
  
"This!" Patty pulled out a beautifully decorated box.  
  
Even in her exasperated state, Lorelai's curiosity got the better of her. "What is it?"  
  
Patty handed her the box with much enthusiasm. "Open it dear and see for yourself."  
  
Lorelai looked around nervously. Practically every eye in the place was on her, anticipating the unveiling. "Oh my god!" Lorelai exclaimed as she revealed the contents. "It's gorgeous!" Lorelai held in her hands a stunningly glamorous dress; the other passengers observed in awe.  
  
Rory was the first to speak. "Wow, mom you're so lucky! Why a dress though?" Rory directed her question to Miss Patty and Babette.  
  
"How else is she going to attract Luke's attention?" Patty hinted.  
  
"I should have known!" Lorelai rolled her eyes. "When are you all going to drop this silly fantasy? Luke and I are just friends, period, end of story - got it?"  
  
"Whatever you say Lorelai." Patty winked at the others. "At least wont you keep the dress? It'll look darling on you."  
  
Lorelai heaved a sigh, "I'll only keep the dress on one condition; that you all promise to mind your own business on this cruise, and that nobody breathes a word of this to Luke."  
  
"That was two conditions sweetie," Babette smartly stated. "Sounds fair," Patty added. The others agreed.  
  
"Good, now I'm going to have a little rest," Lorelai yawned mid-sentence. "Rory, wake me up when we get there?"  
  
Rory waited a couple seconds before responding. "Wake up!" She wasn't being a smart ass; the bus had actually arrived at the boarding dock  
  
"Very funny Rory, but seriously." Lorelai closed her eyes without hesitation.  
  
"Mom, I am being serious - look outside!"  
  
Lorelai was beyond frustrated, as she peered outside her window. "Oh, good grief! Will this day never end?"  
  
-The gang of four eager travellers had multiplied to eight, and together they marched off the bus, grabbed their bags and Lorelai who had managed to drift off once more, and headed towards their final destination; the cruise ship.  
  
"This is it! We finally made it!" Sookie shrieked in utter ecstasy.  
  
"Woo hoo!" Lorelai responded entirely sarcastically. With the slightest glance at the ship however, Lorelai's attitude came full circle.  
  
*The eight of them stood in line with hundreds of others below the towering ocean vessel. Many had dreamt of a ship, yet none could have imagined the one before them, in all its magnificence.  
  
*To be continued. Please R/R - cause if you do I'll be your best friend! 


	9. All Aboard The Crazy Ship

Thanks again to those who reviewed, but I must say that I need a little more motivation - ok, a lot more motivation. More reviews = more motivation. Now that we have that settled, on with the story!  
  
So - in the line they stood, those anxious, weary travelers, when suddenly, the line began to move. One by one, the passengers were permitted aboard the ocean-bound vessel. It was a long, draining process, especially for Lorelai. She was so very exhausted and unsettled by the whole situation. What had ever possessed her to go on this cruise?  
  
"We're next!" Sookie broke Lorelai's train of thought as she shouted gleefully. Their unexpectedly large group had finally reached the front of the line. "Ooh - I can't wait, this is so exciting!" Everyone but Lorelai shared in Sookie's enthusiasm.  
  
"Lorelai darling, why so glum?" Miss Patty asked with a level of concern in her voice.  
  
Before Lorelai had a chance to respond sarcastically, she was distracted by a familiar voice. "Oh god!" Lorelai gasped. -Luke and Nicole had obviously gained access to the ship as they were standing overhead on its masterful deck. They weren't in visible range, yet their voices could be heard quite clearly from below.  
  
"Love is in the air!" Babette chimed, as she too heard the pleasingly familiar voices.  
  
"Oh stop!" Lorelai pleaded. "If we can hear them, chances are that they can hear us."  
  
"Whatever you say sugar. Well, at least we know we got the right ship," Babette cleverly announced. The others caught on quickly; Sookie however, took her time.  
  
"Oh, I get it! Cause Luke and Nicole are here - tee hee hee!" Sookie's laugh was positively contagious.  
  
And then, their shining moment arose as they exchanged their tickets for room keys and entered the mighty ocean liner. The ship's beautiful outside, paled in comparison to its inside. The foyer was intricately decorated; the solid oak floors gleamed in the sunlight. One word could sum it up - breathtaking! A smartly dressed woman approached the group and would escort them to their separate rooms.  
  
"Do you come with the room?" Kirk mischievously asked the young and attractive guide.  
  
"Um, not exactly," she nervously replied.  
  
"Don't mind Kirk, he's been single for a very, very, very, long time!" Lorelai added. The others laughed at her remark; Kirk simply rolled his eyes in frustration.  
  
Oddly enough, each of their rooms were relatively close in proximity to one another, possibly having something to do with the fact that they had all booked their tickets ridiculously late.  
  
"Here we are," started the guide, "Promenade deck #7." Their deck wasn't very conveniently located; in fact, it was as close to the bottom of the ship as one could get. It would have to do. The guide proceeded to point each passenger in the direction of his or her room. Sookie and Jackson were at one end of the hall, while Lorelai, Rory and Kirk were at the opposite end. Patty, Babette and Morey, somehow wound up in the middle. It was like a Star's Hollow hamburger: Sookie and Jackson were the top bun, Patty was of course the meat patty, and Lorelai was the bottom bun.  
  
"Aah - sanctuary!" Lorelai exclaimed as she and Rory stepped inside their room. The room was very quaint and welcoming; chocolate mints were atop the hand woven pillows.  
  
"If only Kirk wasn't just outside our door! Having him there really sucks, ya know?" Rory disapprovingly commented.  
  
"Yeah I know hon - How can I comfortably walk around in the nude knowing he's apt to barge in at any time?"  
  
"How about keeping your clothes on - for my sake," Rory hastily replied. "You wouldn't want to let all those new clothes go to waste, would you?"  
  
"Well, they've become quite acquainted with my suitcase. I can't just take them out, away from their suitcase buddy, and expect everything to be normal. What will they think of me?"  
  
'They will probably think that you're crazy, cause that's what I'm thinking right now."  
  
"Betrayed by my own daughter, whom will I turn to? Oh sweet suitcase, you're all I have left!" Lorelai embraced the gaudy suitcase with all her might."  
  
Rory laughed, "As intriguing as this conversation is, I must go un-pack."  
  
"You're heartless!" Lorelai teased. As Rory busied herself, Lorelai immediately devoured the chocolate mints. They were exceptionally good. Rory made a face at her mother soon after the scavenging took place. She knew Lorelai all too well.  
  
-Suddenly, the cruise ship was set in motion with an unanticipated jolt.  
  
"What the hell was that?" Lorelai asked, obviously startled.  
  
"I think we're moving," answered Rory.  
  
Oh god - Lorelai thought as reality kicked in. Now that the ship was moving, there was no escape. Well, she could jump, but that would mean getting her clothes wet - that was reason enough to deter Lorelai. The freezing cold Pacific water would have been a convincing deterrent as well, although that hadn't occurred to her. All were aboard the crazy ship; young, old, male, female, Kirk - each facing their own unique adventure. -This was just the beginning of Lorelai's big adventure!  
  
*Please R/R - show me the love! 


	10. Heaven Never Tasted So Good

Thanks a bunch to those who so kindly reviewed - it's always appreciated. Now, as for the rest of you, sleep with one eye open! (Just Kidding) I'm not a violent person, really. Anyway - on with the story  
  
*So, the ship had finally departed. Destination: Alaska. -After a long, draining battle, both Rory and Lorelai finished unpacking.  
  
"What time is it?" asked Lorelai.  
  
"It's 2:30 in the afternoon," answered Rory.  
  
"Oh god, is that all?" Lorelai was beyond exhausted; the day was seemingly endless.  
  
"This is what happens when we get up early - we are so not morning people," Rory affirmed.  
  
"I hear that," Lorelai agreed. "Well," she yawned. "I think I'm just gonna have a little nap - wake me up for supper, ok?"  
  
"Oh, no you don't," Rory snarled. "You drag me on this cruise and then expect me to entertain myself - I think not!"  
  
"Whoa, let's not freak out here, shall we? There are plenty of other people aboard this ship. Why must I entertain you?"  
  
"In case you didn't notice, Kirk and I aren't exactly bosom buddies. And Patty and Babette should be institutionalized."  
  
"You're right, you know."  
  
"Of course I'm right," Rory hesitated. "About what?"  
  
"Patty and Babette should be institutionalized, and so should Kirk for that matter." Lorelai was averting the central issue as usual.  
  
Rory was truly annoyed. "You never stop, do you?"  
  
"Stop what?"  
  
"Oh, never mind," Rory gave up. "You better enjoy this afternoon nap, cause it's the last one you're going to get, understand?"  
  
"Yes Drill Sergeant!" Lorelai shouted in a mocking tone.  
  
"You're impossible!" Rory teased.  
  
"I'm encourageable!"  
  
"Bye. Be good!" Rory eyed her mother.  
  
"You too. I don't want to wake up and find you married with children!" Lorelai eyed Rory.  
  
"I'm not even going to dignify that with an answer." Rory turned around and with a slight wave, exited the room.  
  
-Luckily for Rory, the massive ship made it easy to avoid certain people. On more than one occasion, she conveniently escaped from the sight of the Star's Hollow crew. Sookie and Jackson however, were another story. Rory wasn't afraid to come in contact with them; in fact she would have welcomed their presence, yet they were nowhere to be found. She deduced that they were busily avoiding the others as well. Maybe it was best for Rory to think that, because you know, there was a reason why they called it the 'love boat'.  
  
As the hours passed, Rory was slowly becoming acquainted with the ship. She had made her way to the main deck and was actually starting to enjoy herself. There weren't many young people on board; actually, there weren't any young people on board. Rory had come to that realization long ago. Essentially, the majority of passengers were middle-aged or older.  
  
As Rory proceeded in the direction of the social room, she nearly stumbled into Luke. Rory quickly gathered herself and hid behind a group of tourists. Luke did a double take. Had he just seen Rory? No, he dismissed the possibility. I'm going crazy- Luke thought. First Lorelai and now Rory, his mind was consumed with the Gilmore girls.  
  
Once the coast was clear, Rory abruptly returned to her room.  
  
"Mom! Mom! Wake up!" Rory shouted unbelievably loud.  
  
"Huh? What! What's going on?" Lorelai's voice was groggy and panicked. "Are we sinking? Did we hit an ice burg?" Oh my god, I'm too young to die!" Lorelai was slightly overreacting.  
  
"What? No - Mom, it's nothing like that. I, I think I saw Luke."  
  
"You think you saw Luke? You wake me up from the most exceptional nap I've ever had in my entire life, causing me unnecessary panic and trauma, because you think you saw Luke?"  
  
"Um, yes." Rory felt a teeny bit guilty.  
  
"Ok - just making sure. My daughter is the devil's child," Lorelai muttered under her breath.  
  
"What was that?" Rory said, pretending that she hadn't heard.  
  
"What was what?" Lorelai was back to doing what she did best, avoidance.  
  
Rory ignored her mother. "I don't think he saw me."  
  
"That's nice to hear, why don't we pop open a bottle of champagne and celebrate!" Lorelai sarcastically stated.  
  
"What was I supposed to do? It's not like we can elude him forever."  
  
"I know, I'm sorry. But how am I going to approach him? What am I going to say - Hey Luke! Rory and I had a vote, and cold, deserted Alaska beat out warm, inviting Europe."  
  
"Sounds good to me."  
  
"Devil child." This time Lorelai wanted to be heard.  
  
"Hey! Just for that, I wont tell you the other big news I have."  
  
"Oh, Please tell me! I'll never call you devil child again!"  
  
"That remains to be seen," Rory smartly commented. "Ok - I'll tell you, now brace yourself."  
  
"C'mon, out with it, out with it!" Lorelai demanded.  
  
"They have a two-storey buffet on this cruise ship! Imagine, every possible food that ever existed right at your fingertips."  
  
"You're not serious? Rory, don't toy with my emotions."  
  
"I'm completely serious, you'll have to see it to believe it."  
  
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go and show em what we Gilmore's are made of!"  
  
"Here, here."  
  
-And with that, the girls were off on yet another adventure. As they rapidly approached the dining area, Lorelai was taken aback. In all her life she could never have imagined a grander sight than the one before her. After all, what were the Gilmore girls if not champion eaters? This was better than an amusement park.  
  
"Rory! I think we've officially entered Heaven!" Lorelai shouted with glee.  
  
Rory drooled over the display before them and snuck a few bites. "Heaven never tasted so good!"  
  
With heaping plates and beaming smiles, the girls took their seats at an elegantly decorated table and began devouring their precious food. Both were far too occupied to even notice Luke and Nicole's presence. They were only a few tables away, yet they too seemed lost in thought. Their thoughts however, didn't consist of food. Luke was unmistakably thinking of Lorelai, while Nicole was thinking about how peaceful it was to be on a cruise with Luke, away from distraction, away from Lorelai.  
  
"Oh, I'm so full, but there's so much food," Rory moaned in agony.  
  
"You give up too easily my child. I, Lorelai, Olympic gold medallist eater, am going up for yet another plate." Lorelai started to get up and nearly lost her balance. With great effort, she returned to the battlegrounds for round four. The first two rounds she had won quite easily, the third round proved to be a bit more difficult. Would the fourth round be her final round? Only time would tell.  
  
As Lorelai busily piled delicacies from the world over onto her plate, Luke and Nicole began to fill their own plates on the opposite side of the buffet. He was the first to notice Lorelai, and this time he knew he wasn't dreaming. Luke was more relieved to see her than anything else; at least this would confirm that he wasn't crazy. When Nicole's back was turned, he decided to approach Lorelai.  
  
*Nice little cliff-hanger, isn't it? Please R/R and the story will get even better, and by better I mean BETTER! 


	11. Indigestion

Thanks so much for the reviews - I love you guys! P.S. please continue reviewing - it keeps me sane. Now, buckle up and get ready for the next, highly anticipated chapter. Its gonna be a bumpy, action-packed, roller coaster ride, so hold on - and read on!  
  
-Luke swallowed hard as he reluctantly approached Lorelai. He wasn't angry, he wasn't necessarily happy either. He was neutral. "Nice selection isn't it?" Luke was referring to the food displayed before them. He waited in anticipation of her response.  
  
A chill ran down Lorelai's spine. She immediately recognized the voice and was petrified to look the owner in the eye, let alone respond to his previous comment.  
  
"Lorelai?" Her failure to acknowledge his presence surprised Luke.  
  
"Uh," Lorelai barely managed to get out one syllable.  
  
"Lorelai - what the hell are you doing here?" Luke was done playing nice, or neutral.  
  
Finally, Lorelai awoke from her trance. "Well, well - what are you doing here?" She was back to her old habit of avoidance.  
  
"Taking a lady's advice," Luke stated matter-of-factly. "You did tell me to go on this cruise, didn't you?"  
  
"Are you going to listen to everything I say?"  
  
Luke was growing impatient. His tone became serious and urgent. "Lorelai, why are you here, on this ship?"  
  
"Oh geez, I'm so sorry Luke. I didn't know that this ship belonged to you. I didn't realize I needed your permission to come aboard. How thoughtless of me," now she was patronizing him.  
  
"Why is it that we can never have an adult conversation?" Luke was perturbed; it was like pulling teeth here. "What happened to Europe?"  
  
"Nothing happened to Europe - I just hear that it can be incredibly dull and rainy around this time of year." A most pathetic cover-up.  
  
"It's always dull and rainy there," Luke retorted.  
  
Before Lorelai could react, another familiar, yet unwelcoming voice interrupted.  
  
"Luke, what's taking you so long? I've been waiting patiently at our table and," Nicole stopped mid-sentence and nearly keeled over. "Lorelai!"  
  
"Nicole!" answered Lorelai, equally stunned. She was getting indigestion  
  
"Lorelai!" Nicole again announced the obvious.  
  
"Nicole!" Lorelai repeated. This was a fun game.  
  
"Luke!" Nicole accusingly voiced his name. "What's going on?"  
  
Luke was so busy enjoying the previous repartee between Lorelai and Nicole that he hadn't prepared a suitable explanation for the latter. "Uh, you uh - Lorelai, why don't you, uh," Luke was at a loss for words; a common occurrence.  
  
Lorelai took the reins and explained as best she could. "Nicole, this may sound strange, but Rory, dear sweet daughter of mine, begged me endlessly to go on this cruise. Deep down, she's always wanted to go cruising and I've been thwarting her dreams. I'm a terrible mother," Lorelai sighed. She was a convincing quack.  
  
Both Luke and Nicole simultaneously rolled their eyes. Lorelai's story wasn't quite as convincing as she'd hoped. "And you just happened to pick the exact cruise that Luke and I were on," Nicole snapped. "Typical," she added under her breath.  
  
"Well, I forgot to mention that going to Alaska was also a lifelong dream of Rory's, so I thought, why not kill two birds with one stone!" Lorelai's story was becoming increasingly believable, too bad Luke and Nicole weren't buying.  
  
"I see," began Nicole. "If you'll excuse me Lorelai, as much fun as this reunion is, my dinner is getting cold." Nicole smiled the slightest of smiles at Lorelai, glared the largest of glares at Luke, and proceeded to her table.  
  
"I don't think a certain someone was too happy to see me," Lorelai cautiously stated after Nicole was out of earshot.  
  
"What did you expect Lorelai? Pretty lame excuse by the way." Luke responded.  
  
"I'm sorry Luke, I didn't mean for either of you to find out like this. I was hoping for a more subtle approach. Trust me, you wont even notice me on the ship. Heck, I'll stay in my room the whole time if it'll make things easier for you." Lorelai was trying desperately to make amends.  
  
"Lorelai, you're not staying in your room, that's ridiculous! Anyway, it would be impossible for me not to notice you." Luke surprised himself with that statement. What surprised him even more was Lorelai's expression. She seemed pleased and smiled quite openly. Her smile made him melt. It was his only weakness.  
  
"Well, I should go." Lorelai looked down at her plate and then back at Luke.  
  
Luke continued to converse, despite Lorelai's efforts to remove herself from his presence. "So how many is this? I'd guess four." Luke referred to Lorelai's plate. He knew her more then he knew himself.  
  
Lorelai smiled again before answering. "Yeah, lucky guess, -oh Luke?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"There's one more thing I forgot to tell you." Lorelai braced herself for Luke's reply.  
  
"What is it Lorelai?" Luke was sure he didn't want to know.  
  
"Um, Rory and I aren't exactly by ourselves, I mean, not technically that is."  
  
"What do you mean you're not by yourselves? Who's with you?"  
  
"Before I tell you, just remember that I'm completely innocent. Sookie, Jackson, Patty, Babette, Morey and Kirk are all on board."  
  
"What?!" Luke was beside himself. "Lorelai are you crazy? Did you just say Kirk?"  
  
"Luke it wasn't my idea, well Sookie and Jackson were my idea, but the others totally eavesdropped and were so sneaky and manipulative, and, and."  
  
Luke cut her off. "Kinda like someone I know."  
  
"You're not referring to me are you?" Lorelai instinctively batted her eyelashes.  
  
Luke was mesmerized by Lorelai's flirtatious action and failed to respond.  
  
"Luke? Hello, earth to Luke?"  
  
"Huh, oh I uh, what were you saying?"  
  
"Never mind." Lorelai's power of seduction amused her, although Luke was an easy target. There was an awkward pause, a precise time to end the conversation. Luke took the initiative.  
  
"See you around?" He asked hopefully.  
  
"See you around," Lorelai confirmed. -And with that, the two departed in opposite directions and re-joined their dining partners.  
  
*Later that night, in the Gilmore cabin:  
  
"So Luke is ok with us being here?" Rory curiously asked.  
  
"I think so, but Nicole is another story."  
  
"Well you can't blame her for being upset. Hey, she must have asked why you were on the ship. What did you tell her?" Rory was too nosey for her own good.  
  
Lorelai was suddenly overwhelmed with guilt. "Oh, it doesn't matter now. Besides, I can't remember exactly what I said - it was so long ago."  
  
"Yeah a whole 2 hours!" Rory said sarcastically.  
  
"Well I'm about ready to hit the hay, how about you?"  
  
"Yeah, I guess so," Rory reluctantly stated. "So is it safe for us to show our faces now?"  
  
"Perfectly - now off to sleep."  
  
"Night mom."  
  
"Night hon."  
  
*To be continued - Please R/R and all your dreams will come true! 


	12. Damn Those Purses!

*Thanks again for the reviews; reviews are always encouraged; reviews are my lifeline! (Please note the rating change) - for insurance purposes only. And now, here's the latest chapter in my highly acclaimed story - enjoy!  
  
-Morning has broken on the ship of dreams: "Good morning sunshine!" Rory exclaimed as she jumped onto her mother's bed.  
  
"Aghh! Are you trying to give me a heart attack? What time is it?" Lorelai was in yet another chipper mood.  
  
"Hurry and get up, or we'll miss the breakfast buffet!"  
  
"I think not! I am so not going to another buffet - so full," Lorelai moaned in mock pain.  
  
"Well, your stomach may have no vacancy, but mine is certainly open for business."  
  
"In English please," whined Lorelai.  
  
"I'm hungry!" Rory was becoming quite agitated too, a deadly combination.  
  
"Alright, you go on ahead and I'll catch up." Lorelai was very shrewd.  
  
"Ha, nice try! When were you planning on catching up? Two hours, maybe three?"  
  
"Now you're just being silly. I was thinking closer to four!" Honesty was the best policy.  
  
"Ok - get dressed." Rory was reverting to drill sergeant mode. "I'm gonna give you 10 minutes before I get Kirk in here!"  
  
"Eeep! Ok, ok you win! My daughter is seriously the devil's child."  
  
"Eight minutes and counting!" Rory aggressively shouted.  
  
-Much later:  
  
"Hey it's not my fault that the stupid hair dryer wouldn't work!" Lorelai snapped.  
  
"Maybe if you hadn't short-circuited the socket with your stupid cell phone, it would have!" Rory snapped back.  
  
"Look, let's not argue. What's done is done. Any breakfast buffet that only lasts until 11am has a thing or two to learn about Lorelai Gilmore's internal clock. This is why we like Luke's; breakfast is served all day, the way it should be," Lorelai was on quite a tangent.  
  
"Great speech and all mom, but your voice, as lovely and soothing as it is, doesn't have the power to cure my hunger!"  
  
"The lunch buffet starts at 12:30pm - can't you wait until then?"  
  
"Do not underestimate the severity of my hunger. Without proper sustenance, I will surely meet my end!" Rory over-dramatized.  
  
"Goody! You'll finally meet your father! Tell Satan I said hi!" Lorelai teased.  
  
"You're not funny."  
  
Lorelai looked serious for a moment as though she were deep in thought. "There has to be food somewhere on this contraption." She began marching towards the kitchen area of the dining room.  
  
"Mom! Where are you going?" Rory hesitated, then reluctantly followed her mother.  
  
- The girls entered the kitchen uninvited. Neither could have anticipated what awaited them upon entry.  
  
"Sookie!" Lorelai shrieked in utter astonishment. "What are you doing in here?"  
  
"Lorelai, Rory! I'm so glad to see you guys! Aren't you just loving this cruise?" Sookie was radiant with delight.  
  
"Sookie, what are you doing in the kitchen?" Lorelai asked again.  
  
"Oh - well, last night after I feasted on the spectacular dinner buffet, I noticed that a few of the dishes, particularly the crab bisque, needed Sookie's magic touch. So, I sauntered right into the kitchen, demonstrated my expertise and won the praise and admiration of the entire cooking staff. It was my crowning moment!"  
  
"Sookie that's amazing!" Rory proudly stated.  
  
"Yeah Sook, that's really great," Lorelai agreed. "But, why are you still in the kitchen? And where is Jackson?"  
  
"Jackson is sleeping. We were up pretty late last night - tee hee hee," Sookie giggled naughtily. "I'm here right now, because the head chef wanted my 'expert' opinion on the fillet mignon he was serving later this evening. Isn't this great? I am loving this cruise!"  
  
"Sookie, how about you use that 'expertise' of yours and get us poor, frail and starving girls some grub." Lorelai pleaded.  
  
"I'm sure that wouldn't be a problem - follow me," Sookie instructed as she led the three of them through large glass doors and into the heart of the kitchen. "Here we are," Sookie presented a lovely platter, one that had been untouched from the previous breakfast buffet.  
  
"Sook you're an angel!" Lorelai exclaimed as she and Rory demolished the food before them.  
  
"Mmm this is so good. Sookie, you are officially my hero!" Rory spoke between enormous bites.  
  
-With full tummies and warm hearts, the three girls departed the kitchen and traveled together to their separate cabins.  
  
"God damn it!" Lorelai cursed loudly as she and Rory stepped foot into their room.  
  
"What?" Rory asked concerned.  
  
"I left my purse in the kitchen! God, I'm such an idiot!"  
  
"Relax mom - just go back to the kitchen and get it." Rory was startled by her mother's reaction.  
  
"It's not that simple. I'm trying to avoid Luke and Nicole here, and the more I'm on the main deck, the more likely that they'll see me."  
  
"But I thought you said that it was safe to show our faces now. They already know we're here. What's the big deal?" Rory was genuinely confused.  
  
"I dunno, it's just so awkward having Nicole here. It would be so much easier to talk to Luke without her hanging off his arm all the time." Lorelai made an unpleasant face.  
  
"Mom, what really happened between you and Luke? You never did tell me."  
  
"I know hon, and I don't mean to keep it from you, I just need to figure a few things out first, ok?"  
  
"Alright, but don't even think about asking me to get your purse, because the answer is a big fat N-O!"  
  
"Fine then -I'll get Sookie to do it."  
  
"Mom!"  
  
"Kirk?"  
  
"No - not unless you want to be indebted to him."  
  
"Good point. I guess I'll have to get it myself. See you in a bit." And with that, Lorelai was off to the races, or technically speaking, the main deck. -Luckily for her, she was able to retrieve her purse without a hitch, well almost. She was on her way back to her room, when a tall, dark and handsome obstacle appeared.  
  
"Going somewhere?" asked Luke  
  
"Luke! Hi! No, I mean - yes I am going somewhere, I think. Lorelai was undoubtedly frazzled.  
  
"Are you feeling alright?" Luke was puzzled by her awkwardness.  
  
"Oh, yeah - just peachy!" She lied.  
  
"That's good to hear," Luke said sincerely.  
  
"Isn't it though?" Lorelai looked around nervously. "Where's Nicole?"  
  
Now Luke was the one caught off guard. "Uh, well, she had to make a few business calls."  
  
"I see. So what are you up to?"  
  
"Uh - nothing really. Lorelai, can I ask you something?" Luke looked like a frightened schoolboy.  
  
"Yeah, sure - I guess."  
  
"Why are you really here, on this cruise ship?"  
  
Lorelai hadn't yet prepared a convincing answer for that very question. "I don't know Luke. I, I just, well - I hated the way we left things, the way I left things, at Rory's graduation party," finally the truth.  
  
"What exactly happened at Rory's graduation party?" Luke was being very open and forward.  
  
Another question Lorelai was dreading to answer. "What do you mean?"  
  
"I mean, I don't know - never mind." Luke was afraid to get any more personal; he had already surpassed his comfort zone.  
  
"We almost kissed!" Lorelai blurted out, and immediately regretted it. "Didn't we?"  
  
Luke's face turned a bright shade of scarlet. Their conversation had taken an intensely intimate turn.  
  
"Well, didn't we?" Lorelai was determined to get an answer, although she didn't exactly know the answer she desired.  
  
"It was my fault, I don't know what came over me - I'm sorry." Luke bashfully turned away.  
  
"Luke, it wasn't your fault. We're both adults here. Whatever came over you obviously came over me too."  
  
"Really?" Luke was somehow relieved. "Uh, did, did you uh want me to kiss you?"  
  
Lorelai was taken aback by Luke's forwardness. "I don't know." Lorelai was completely tongue-tied. "I, I, maybe I did - I haven't really thought about it," a blatant lie. That's all she'd been thinking about.  
  
There was an uncomfortable pause, then Lorelai continued. "Luke, I came on this cruise so I could apologize for disregarding you the way I did. I felt so guilty - I was just so confused and I didn't want Rory to think anything. I never meant to hurt you."  
  
"I know," Luke took a deep breath. "Thank - you," he smiled slightly.  
  
Lorelai returned his smile. "You're welcome."  
  
"Uh, I better go," before Luke could finish, Lorelai grabbed his arm and eagerly interrupted.  
  
"Hey! You wanna check out the gift shop with me?" Lorelai beamed him a smile. They were back once again to friendship mode. This was good. This was comfortable.  
  
Luke couldn't resist that smile if he tried. "Do I have to?" He liked playing hard to get.  
  
"Yep."  
  
"Alright. Lead the way."  
  
-No matter how hard they tried, there was no going back now. Luke and Lorelai's relationship had changed. They could either ignore the obvious, or explore the unknown. But for now, the friendship act would have to suffice.  
  
*To be continued - Please R/R - Then prepare yourself for the next spicy, blisteringly intense chapter. It just keeps getting better and better! 


	13. Dark Haired Seductress

*Finally, the moment has arrived. The latest chapter in my intensely compelling drama is complete! So - sit back, relax and enjoy - AND Review!!! (Please) (  
  
- Luke and Lorelai spent quite a length of time together in the ship's one and only lavish gift shop. Only one of them was really shopping, and she had three overflowing bags to prove it. Ultimately, Lorelai had her fill of needless expenditures, and she and Luke took a scenic walk along the outer-deck of the ship, meanwhile observing the refreshingly blue ocean water. As the sun began to set, Luke escorted Lorelai to her cabin and the two departed on friendly terms.  
  
*Luke's cabin:  
  
"Where have you been all day?" Nicole asked with a slightly concerned and slightly nosey air about her.  
  
"Uh, around." Luke guiltily answered.  
  
"You must have been pretty busy to have stood me up." Nicole was being relatively snooty. "We were supposed to have lunch, remember?"  
  
"I completely forgot all about that," Luke was being honest. He really had forgotten, thanks in large part to a certain dark-haired seductress.  
  
"Well, the least you could do is apologize, or is that too much to ask for?"  
  
"I'm sorry Nicole, I really am." Luke stared down at the floor like a child who was afraid to face his consequences. "Listen, I'll make it up to you."  
  
"You were with her, weren't you?" Nicole was undoubtedly referring to Lorelai.  
  
Luke was certainly caught off guard by Nicole's accusation. "What makes you say that?"  
  
"Oh, come on Luke. It's no secret why she's here. You two are inseparable!"  
  
"Now, wait just a minute," Luke demanded. "Lorelai boarded this ship on her own freewill, I had nothing to do with it."  
  
"Luke, don't play me for a fool. You're telling me that her coming on this ship had nothing to do with you? You must think I'm an idiot - and I would be if I believed you!"  
  
"What's with this sudden interrogation? We've been dating for months, and out of the blue, you develop an insane jealousy towards Lorelai?" Luke was controlling his emotions with the best of his ability. Deep down, he was enraged, and not because Nicole was on his case, it was because he truly had something to hide and was ashamed to admit it.  
  
"I am certainly not jealous of Lorelai," Nicole was yelling. She paused briefly and sighed. "Look at us Luke. We've never had a fight like this." Nicole's tone was much softer now.  
  
It was this innocent, soft-spoken side of Nicole that Luke had grown very fond of. "I know. I hate fighting - and I hate having to defend my relationship with Lorelai. Why can't you just accept it for what it is?"  
  
Nicole's expression became serious "What exactly is it Luke? If you can honestly tell me that you're relationship with Lorelai is strictly on a friendship level, then I'll drop this subject completely and I promise to never bring it up again." As much as she'd hate to confess, Nicole was dreading Luke's answer.  
  
Luke's conscience was running wild. He responded without investing a great deal of thought. "Lorelai and I are just friends - that's it, that's all we'll ever be." Luke sounded hurt, as though he believed it himself.  
  
"Alright," Nicole seemed to accept his response, at least for now. "Thank you Luke. What do you say we go get a bite to eat?"  
  
"Sounds good." Luke agreed.  
  
- Luke's previous doubts about his relationship with Nicole were indeed validated by this latest fiasco. Luke and Nicole had been getting along tremendously well, until she became demanding of his intimacy and his time. She had grown to love Luke and undoubtedly, thoughts of marriage filled her head. This scared Luke. Initially, the idea of spending a week alone with Nicole aboard a cruise ship was indeed unsettling. This spelled commitment, and committing to Nicole was a huge deal. And then there was Lorelai. Lorelai was a huge part of Luke's life, even if she was only a friend. Nicole gave the impression that she was incapable of accepting that reality. Luke didn't like who he was anymore when he was around Nicole. He was different, not Luke, not anyone he knew, or wanted to know. He was who she wanted him to be, and that wasn't good enough, at least not in the long run.  
  
-Luke and Nicole spent a quiet dinner together and retired to their room unusually early.  
  
*The next morning: The ship had finally entered into Alaskan territory. It was beautiful, enchanting, and rather chilly.  
  
-Lorelai awoke from a fantastically satisfying nights sleep. Needless to say, she was in an uncharacteristically good mood. Rory was undeniably pleased to see her mother in such high spirits. Lorelai was raring to go, without the aid of caffeine. These were unusual, yet wonderful circumstances and Rory would certainly take advantage.  
  
"Wow, aren't we in a good mood today?" Rory teased.  
  
"Why, whatever do you mean?" Lorelai was playing dumb, her favourite pastime.  
  
Rory rolled her eyes, "Never mind."  
  
"So, what's on the itinerary today - besides food, food and more food!?"  
  
"Well, tonight there's going to be a majestic ball, in the ballroom of all places." Rory was just full of knowledge.  
  
"You don't say," Lorelai said sarcastically. "Are you actually suggesting that we go to the ball?"  
  
"Why not? It's as good a time as any to pull out that hot new dress of yours!"  
  
"Hmm - I suppose it is, but what are we gonna do for the rest of the day?" Lorelai was surprisingly in favour of attending the ball. She must have been in a good mood.  
  
"How about we eat first, cause you know I can't think on an empty stomach." It was true, Rory really couldn't think on an empty stomach, and neither could Lorelai for that matter.  
  
"Agreed."  
  
-And with that simple statement, the girls got up, got dressed, and got some much needed grub.  
  
*To be continued - Please R/R - Show me the money! (Reviews=Money) 


	14. Bouncy Ball

*Thanks for the reviews everybody! Please keep reviewing and I'll keep writing - it's the circle of life. Now hold on tight and prepare yourself for the next thrilling chapter:  
  
- The exciting day's events began with the discovery of a new beau, and ended with a terrible bout of seasickness. Here's how these strange and wonderful events unfolded:  
  
-After consuming an absurd amount of breakfast delicacies, Lorelai and Rory's minds were still blank as to how they would spend the remainder of their day together. In all honesty, there wasn't a whole lot to do on the cruise ship, except of course, to eat, drink and be merry. The ball later that evening, would be the most stimulation either of the girls had received since first venturing aboard the ship.  
  
Lorelai and Rory departed the dining room and pondered aloud as they walked about the premises. "What do you wanna do?" Lorelai asked Rory; it seemed, for the fifteenth time.  
  
"I dunno, what do you wanna do?" Rory habitually answered for the fifteenth time.  
  
This was becoming a vicious cycle, one that Lorelai was determined to break. "I know!" She shrieked with excitement. "Let's go for a Polar Plunge!"  
  
"What are you talking about?" Rory was slightly confused and slightly frightened.  
  
"A Polar Plunge!" Lorelai exclaimed yet again.  
  
"What do you mean?" Rory was innately curious.  
  
"A Polar Plunge!" Superfluous statements were another specialty of Lorelai's.  
  
"Stop saying Polar Plunge!" Rory was at her wits end.  
  
"A Polar Plunge," Lorelai emphasized the words. "Involves the removal of one's clothing, followed by a desperate plunge into ice-cold water." She was using her teacher tone.  
  
Before Rory could cleverly respond to her mother's obvious display of sarcasm, Miss Patty and Babette casually interrupted.  
  
"Lorelai, Rory - so good to see you!" Patty rejoiced in their presence.  
  
"Yeah, you two dolls look great. You're sure to get some action at the ball tonight," Babette added.  
  
Lorelai and Rory rolled their eyes in synchronization.  
  
"You are going to the ball, aren't you?" Patty eagerly questioned; her focus was specifically on Lorelai.  
  
"Uh, yeah - I guess," Lorelai reluctantly stated. This avoidance thing was harder than she thought it would be.  
  
"Wonderful!" Patty smiled contentedly. "You know, I met a certain someone the other day. Perfect for showing off at the ball." She was practically gloating.  
  
Lorelai obligingly prompted. "Really Patty? Do go on." This pretending to be interested thing was also a lot harder than Lorelai had hoped.  
  
"Well, he's got a fantastic personality and a sexy French accent to go along with it. Ladies, I think I'm in love!" Patty had that glow about her.  
  
"Yeah, he's a real looker too! Sexy as hell and I don't mind saying so." Babette certainly wasn't afraid to speak her mind.  
  
Lorelai could only imagine what Patty and Babette classified as sexy - but wait, maybe she didn't have to. All of a sudden, a tall, rather robust man approached them.  
  
Patty was giddy with delight. "Ladies, say hello to my new beau - Guido!"  
  
"Hi!" Lorelai and Rory simultaneously greeted the man. He appeared quite nervous, but that was expected of any man in the presence of Patty.  
  
"Hello to you," The words smoothly rolled off Guido's tongue. If nothing else, his accent was definitely sexy.  
  
"This fine specimen of a man, will be escorting me to the ball this evening. I do hope that I will see you all there, but I'm obviously going to be very busy. Now, I must go put on my face - it's not easy looking this beautiful!" Patty grinned her devilish grin and hurriedly returned to her cabin, leaving a confused Guido to fend for him self.  
  
There was an awkward pause. "So Guido," Lorelai attempted to spark a conversation. "Where exactly does the name Guido come from?"  
  
"I beg your pardon Mon Cheri, but I too must regrettably leave your company. Please forgive me - I shall look forward to making your acquaintance in the future." And with that, Guido mysteriously disappeared.  
  
"Ok - that was weird," Rory almost laughed as she spoke.  
  
"Yeah, weird - I'm totally digging the French accent," Lorelai said wholeheartedly.  
  
"Hell yeah," Babette agreed. "And he's so polite, it's almost sickening, but in a good way."  
  
The girls chatted for some time, and then went their separate ways, promising to rendezvous at the ball later that evening. The ball was on everyone's mind. Lorelai was initially looking forward to attending the ball, yet as the day progressed, the thought of making even a slight appearance was nauseating. She was nervous and anxious and hungry - yes especially hungry. Rory and her had eaten not too long ago, but that had never stopped her before. Lorelai and Rory walked towards their cabin, there was some food stowed away in the bedside drawer.  
  
"So, are you really going to wear that new dress mom?" Rory curiously asked.  
  
"I suppose so - I don't really have anything else that's suitable for such a formal occasion. What are you going to wear kiddo?"  
  
"I dunno - I'm not sure if I'll even go."  
  
"What?! You're joking! I'm not going without you - and if you want me to go - then you better go - cause I'm so not going alone!" Lorelai was a raving lunatic.  
  
"Whoa, easy there. You don't want to burst a blood vessel. As much as it pains me to see you like this, it's gonna take a whole lot more than whining to motivate me."  
  
"But Rory!" Lorelai continued to whine. "It was your idea in the first place. Come on. I'll be your best friend!"  
  
"Hmm - tempting, but no."  
  
"Devil child," Lorelai snickered.  
  
"You never stop, do you? Alright, I'll go - but you owe me big!" Rory had grown tired of the old 'devil' routine.  
  
"Excellent! You know, you give in far too easily, but how could anyone say no to this adorable face?"  
  
"You have no idea."  
  
"Do I detect sarcasm?" Lorelai was a clever one.  
  
"I think I'm ready to hit the buffet again - how about you?" Rory had taken a liking to Lorelai's antics. It was her turn to play the avoidance game.  
  
"Show me the way to the buffet! Ha - I rhymed!" She laughed with much enthusiasm. Luckily for Rory, Lorelai wasn't in the mood to point out her blatant form of copycat-ism, because her mind was occupied on more important matters - FOOD.  
  
Within minutes, the starving girls were headed towards their second home; the dining room.  
  
So it was settled; Both Rory and Lorelai, Patty, Guido, Babette and by word of mouth, the rest of the Star's Hollow gang, would be attending the ball. The only questionable attendees were of course Luke and Nicole. And if Luke had anything to say about it, well - let's just say that their presence would be highly unlikely.  
  
There was only so much time left in the day. Would something, or someone rather, influence Luke to attend the ball? Only time would tell.  
  
*To be continued - Please R/R - Let's get this Ball rolling! Hint:(Reviews=Ball rolling)  
  
. 


	15. Insane In The Membrane

*Thanks for the reviews everybody - I love em! You can never get enough of a good thing (hint, hint) - Now, prepare to be amazed by the latest proceedings in my insanely enjoyable story - Woo hoo!  
  
-After eating yet another substantial meal, the girls were feeling rather lethargic; nothing an afternoon nap couldn't fix. Rory started towards the cabin with Lorelai close in toe. They had nearly reached their destination, when Luke suddenly crossed paths with them. Well actually, he ran into them, quite literally.  
  
"Whoa - sorry! Are you ok?" The three of them echoed. Lorelai wound up on the floor in the process. Luke and Rory had managed to stabilize themselves and were standing on opposite sides of the corridor. Luke instinctively knelt down beside the fallen victim to ensure her safety.  
  
"Lorelai - I'm so sorry. Let me help you up." Luke felt entirely to blame for the incident.  
  
Lorelai was slightly flustered. She hesitated before taking Luke's hand and returning to her feet. "Thanks Luke. It wasn't your fault, it was an accident."  
  
Luke tried to ignore the butterflies in his stomach resulting from the mere seconds that he held Lorelai's hand in his own." Are you alright?" Luke was speaking to both of the Gilmore's this time.  
  
"Couldn't be better," Rory quickly replied.  
  
"Speak for yourself," Lorelai interjected.  
  
"Did you break a nail or something?" Luke stated sarcastically. He was confident that the fall only damaged Lorelai's disposition and not her health.  
  
"What? How dare you insult me after trampling over me like a herd of buffalo!" Needless to say, Lorelai was shocked at Luke's bold comment.  
  
"Lorelai, I apologized before. You don't look hurt. Unless there's some internal bleeding that I don't know about, I think you'll survive." This was Luke's way of saying, enough with the dramatics already.  
  
"Well, if I die, you're paying for my funeral. And - I'm going to haunt you, and this cruise ship and this hallway and anyone whoever walks down this hallway and the captain - and"  
  
Rory appropriately interrupted. "And that's my cue. I think I'm gonna head back to our cabin and let you two enjoy this incredibly insane conversation." She smiled at Luke, frowned at her mother, and within moments, disappeared from sight.  
  
"That was unexpected - and rude.' Lorelai said in a half-serious tone.  
  
"And true," Luke added. "I should get going. I'm meeting Nicole for lunch," Luke spoke carefully, as though he was afraid to say Nicole's name in the presence of Lorelai.  
  
"Oh - ok." Lorelai noticed a slight quiver in Luke's voice. "You know, I was just kidding before Luke. Thanks for helping me up."  
  
"Any time. Try to stay out of trouble." He teased.  
  
"I always do - it just seems to find me," she laughed.  
  
-Luke started inching his way out of the corridor, but before he was out of earshot, Lorelai shouted to him; "You going to the thing tonight?"  
  
"What thing?" Luke walked back towards Lorelai.  
  
"You know, the thing - the ball thing."  
  
"The ball, as in the "Captain's Ball?" Luke hated to say the word ball in that context.  
  
"Yeah, that's the one." Lorelai was almost certain that Luke would be avoiding the soiree.  
  
"I don't know," Luke paused briefly, and then continued. "Are you?" Somehow he already knew the answer to his question.  
  
"Uh, I was thinking about it. I mean, there really isn't a lot else to do on this ship. And besides, I've already got a dress and - oh crap." Lorelai immediately regretted her last statement. She hadn't intended to tell Luke about the dress. She was quite embarrassed for having even accepted the gift from Patty and the others in the first place.  
  
"You already have a dress?" Luke was curious to say the least.  
  
"Well yeah, sort of - it's a long story." Lorelai was exceedingly uncomfortable. Why did she do this to her self? Damn that big mouth of hers.  
  
"So you're going then?" Luke was just full of questions.  
  
"Um - I guess so. How about you?" Lorelai had a few questions of her own.  
  
"Uh, well I uh - I'll have to see what Nicole wants to do." Unbeknownst to Lorelai, Luke had already made up his mind. He was surprisingly in favor of the whole thing, although he would never admit it. His curiosity was enough to fuel his desire to attend the Ball, but what, or who exactly sparked this curiosity? Was he was curious to see the immaculate decorations? Was he curious perhaps to see the Captain himself? Or was it the social spectacle that appealed to his curiosity? No, it was undoubtedly Lorelai and this mystery dress of hers.  
  
"Ok. Hopefully I'll see you there." Now Lorelai was waiting for her cue to exit the conversation. Like mother, like daughter.  
  
"Yeah, I'll see you when I see you." Luke always had a way of making things as plain and as simple as possible.  
  
"Bye Luke," Lorelai smiled one of her genuine smiles at him and immediately his heart melted.  
  
He swallowed and then responded with a fraction of a grin on his face. "Bye Lorelai."  
  
-Minutes later, Lorelai entered her cabin. Rory was passed out on the bed; the corners of her mouth were stained with chocolate. Lorelai couldn't help but laugh at the scene before her, and then reality set in. Her sweet, innocent baby girl wasn't a baby anymore. Rory had secretly grown up, was college bound and moments away from independence. Lorelai couldn't help but feel an emptiness in the pit of her stomach.  
  
"Mom?" Rory groggily asked.  
  
Lorelai was startled by the sound of her daughter's voice. "Oh, god - you scared me!"  
  
"Sorry about my premature departure from the conversation earlier." Rory apologized somewhat sincerely.  
  
"Ha - yeah right." Sarcasm anyone.  
  
"So, how's Luke?" Rory audaciously questioned  
  
"So how's the chocolate?" Lorelai bravely sidestepped the inquiry.  
  
"So how's Luke?" Rory pressed on.  
  
"So how's the chocolate?" Lorelai too was relentless.  
  
-Seeing that this conversation was going nowhere fast, Rory finally gave up.  
  
"The chocolate was delicious. I'd give you some, but I want you to fit in that dress of yours," Rory smartly stated.  
  
"Gimme the chocolate!" Lorelai demanded.  
  
"No way," Rory screamed, as her insane, chocolate-crazed mother began chasing her.  
  
-The dangerous chase continued for some time, then both girls returned to their corners in an exhausted state. Lorelai walked towards the closet, glaring all the while at Rory (her devil child). She then pulled out her new dress for further inspection. The strapless gown was an exquisite shade of red and black satin, accented with beading detail on the sides and bottom. It was truly a marvelous spectacle; both Rory and Lorelai were entranced by its beauty. -The piercing ring of the phone immediately broke their concentration. After a grueling argument over who was closer to the phone, Lorelai reluctantly answered it.  
  
*To be continued - Please R/R (You know you wanna) - Who could it be on the phone? Keep reviewing and the moment of truth will soon arise! 


	16. Come Hell Or High Water!

Hazaa!! At last, the moment has finally arrived! To those who have been sleeplessly waiting for my stories return, this is for you! I was on hiatus for quite an extended period of time, and then I realized... I need closure!! This story has great promise and I promise to continue with it until completion!! – Thanks for standing by me – you wont regret it!!!

We pick up where we left off – if you forget, I don't blame you. You should start from the beginning (that's precisely why I kept the chapters short!)

"What is it?" Lorelai impatiently questioned the caller. She was greeted with silence on the other end.

"Helloooo?" Now she was being playful. Suddenly, all that remained was the dial tone.

"I don't believe it! They hung up on me!" Lorelai shouted with great disdain.

"I'd hang up on you too!" Rory snapped back.

"Ack! Snubbed by my own flesh and blood, I think I might cry!" Lorelai sarcastically retorted.

Once again, their infantile arguing was interrupted by the incessant ringing of the now termed, 'evil phone.'

"My god, what is this, the Springer hotline?!" Lorelai screeched. She abruptly grabbed the phone and answered more appropriately this time – well, kinda. "You've reached the Jerry Springer hotline, how may I direct your call?" – Rory's laughter in the background was unmistakeable.

Finally, a confused female voice answered back, "Lorelai, is that you – is this supposed to be some kind of joke?" Lorelai knew immediately whose voice it was, that high-pitched, 'holier than though' voice that belonged to none other than Nicole.

"Uh, yeah Nicole – hi, its me. Sorry about that, I didn't know it was you." Lorelai felt completely awkward and embarrassed.

"Yes, well I'll get on with what I need to say – no need to prolong this conversation any further." Nicole really had a way with words. She explicitly continued, "I caught wind that there is to be a 'Captain's Ball' on the ship this evening and I thought it best to warn you right now, that Luke will not be escorting you, nor will he even contemplate the possibility of dancing with you. And you, under no circumstances will suggest such an absurd possibility to him – is that clear? I intend on occupying ALL of Luke's time, because he is after all, MY Boyfriend!"

Lorelai was overwhelmed by the tone and severity of Nicole's words. She was completely caught off-guard by this sudden outburst and truly had no response that she believed suited the situation. "Nicole, I, I, I'm sorry, I had no idea you felt this way - " Lorelai paused briefly and was suddenly overcome with emotion, "You know what Nicole, I'm not sorry – I have done nothing wrong and I will be attending the Ball tonight with or without Luke by my side – is that clear?!" Lorelai surprised herself with this impulsive outburst, and yet, she felt incredibly relieved.

Nicole was once again rendered speechless. She muttered something angrily to herself, then pulled the phone closely to her mouth, as if her voice wasn't already loud enough, "Ok Lorelai, if this is how you want things to be – Game on!" And with that, Nicole slammed down the receiver in a fit of rage. Their conversation had officially ended.

It was safe to say that Lorelai was rather flustered following her argument with Nicole. - Rory had been intently listening throughout the heated discussion. She eagerly questioned Lorelai regarding the outcome.

"What was that all about Mom – What did Nicole want?" Rory was in desperate need of some answers.

"How did she even get this number?" Lorelai thought aloud regarding Nicole. "She's a witch!" Now she was making light of the situation, I think.

"Mom, did you not hear a word I just said?" Rory just simply rolled her eyes and continued, "What did Nicole say to you – was it about Luke?"

The word 'Luke' seemed to wake Lorelai from her trance-like state and she finally acknowledged her daughter, "Uh, yeah – Nicole, well she didn't say much really, except for the part where she demanded that I stay away from Luke or else."

"Or else what?" Rory was on the edge of her seat.

"Oh, I dunno, she said something about a game – like she wants to play a game or something. Well Nicole, if you wanna play a game, how's 'Go Fish' – I throw you overboard... and You go fish!!!"

Rory couldn't help but laugh at her mother's latest antics. "Mom, don't be insane – that game of yours authorizes some jail time to go along with it!"

Lorelai was laughing too and hardly in the mood to discuss Nicole any further. "You know what kiddo, come hell or high water," Lorelai paused briefly to admire her pun, "Ha hah – high water!" then she continued – "I will be going to that Ball tonight! So, look out cruel world, cause here I come!"

That's all for now folks...more is on the way – And it will arrive to your happy homes very shortly – but it needs a little help to get there, possibly a Fed-Ex!

Hint: Reviews equals Fed-Ex!!


	17. Clocks And Rocks

Thanks a million for the reviews guys I'm lovin them like a two dollar whore!! Keep em coming! - Now prepare to be enthralled by the latest chapter in my fantastically witty and charming story!!

- Lorelai and Rory dedicated a large part of their evening toward preparing themselves for the grandeur of the Captain's Ball that awaited them. It was nearing 7pm, precisely when the Ball was to commence. Fortunately, the girls were far too occupied with hair and wardrobe to acknowledge their incessant hunger. Well, almost...

"God, I'm starving!" protested Lorelai. She had finally caught a glance of the clock in their room. It was indeed dinnertime and therefore, the munchies were kicking in.

"Me too! I could eat a horse... I could eat two horses!" Rory had undeniably noticed the clock as well.

"I could eat a horse-drawn carriage!" Lorelai had definitely gone overboard - no pun intended.

Rory could only roll her eyes in defeat – her mother could never lose in any battle concerning food.

"Well, I think it's time for final inspection!" Lorelai proclaimed. "How do I look?"

Rory carefully looked her mother over, from head to toe, then stood back in admiration. "Mom, you look incredible! You've really outdone yourself this time – and the dress is fabulous!"

Lorelai was genuinely flattered by her daughter's approval. "Thanks hon, you look pretty amazing yourself!"

Rory was wearing a strapless dress in a delicate shade of blue. Lorelai was uninformed as to where the dress came from, and Rory liked it that way. It added an element of mystery to the plot!

Finally, as the clock struck 7:30, the gorgeous and famished ladies were officially headed towards the Ballroom. Lorelai was the first to enter, with Rory close in toe. The spectacle that surrounded them was breathtaking. The room was marvellous in size, with sunbursts and marble halls and winding staircases made from the finest oak. The lavish decorations were astounding, so too were the tables arranged perfectly around the dance-floor. Many guests had already arrived and were busily selecting tables and feasting on the many delights. Wait a minute... feasting – why, that means there's food! Lorelai and Rory were so enamoured with the scenery that they nearly overlooked their pressing hunger.

Rory was the first to speak, "Wow, this is so... I mean, wow!"

"You've never been so eloquent honey!" Lorelai sarcastically responded, although she too was in awe. "Ya know, I think it's about time we acknowledge our hungry tummies, what do ya say?" Lorelai suggestively nodded her head towards the buffet.

"I say, giddy up!" Rory was undoubtedly alluding to their previous repartee involving horses and carriages and other such nonsense.

"Ha hah, clever child! You shall be rewarded – follow me." And with that, Lorelai eagerly led the way towards the heavenly aromas. She may have been making some horse sounds along the way.

After literally piling their plates sky high, the girls made their way towards a corner table – it seemed a little more intimate, away from all the hustle and bustle.

And then, as if the fates were once again at hand, Patty, Guido, Babette and Morey abruptly sidestepped them.

"My, my, don't you girls look wonderful! Lorelai, that dress looks positively elegant on you!" Patty didn't waste a moment to get her two-cents in.

"Thanks Patty, I love the dress and thanks again for your generosity, and you too Babette!" Lorelai was acting quite civil; she must have been in a good mood!

"Oh darling, you are so welcome, it's the least we could do! Now wont you and Rory join us? We already have a table right next to the dance-floor, a prime location!" Patty expected no less than Lorelai's full cooperation.

Damn, Lorelai thought. It never fails! "Alright Patty, that sounds great." Lorelai was becoming quite a good actress – perhaps she had entered the wrong field of business.

Together, the six of them walked to their conveniently located table. Sookie and Jackson were already seated. Oddly enough, there was no sign of Kirk – well maybe not so odd.

Everyone was happily chatting and eating, enjoying their surroundings...

Meanwhile, In Luke and Nicole's cabin:

Nicole was nervously pacing about the room. She was dressed for the ball, yet was having second thoughts about attending.

"Luke, I think we should stay in tonight – you know, and have a romantic evening, just you and me."

"What do you mean? You spend two hours getting all 'dolled up' and NOW you want to stay in? What's with you Nicole?" Luke was indeed frustrated.

Nicole too was irritated. "Nothing's with me Luke! I don't feel like going to the Damn Ball! So what?! You never wanted to go in the first place!!"

"So what?! That's all you have to say! What about all the money I spent on the dress that you just had to have? I never said I didn't want to go to this thing – you never asked!" Luke was ready for battle.

"Oh, and I'm so sure that my asking would have influenced your decision! We both know the reason why you're going!" Nicole was prepared to meet Luke's challenge.

"God damn it Nicole!" Luke boomed, "You are your own worst enemy! Believe what you want to believe – there's no getting through to you!" And with that, Luke stormed out of the room.

Where's Luke headed? What's Nicole going to do about it, AND why am I so hungry?

All this and more in the next spellbinding chapter!!!

Please R/R – It fuels the fire within me!!


	18. Contemplation And Temptation

Thanks again for the reviews guys – you can NEVER grow tired of a good thing!!! Now hold on to your seats and prepare to be enthralled by the latest chapter in my obsessively captivating story!

In the Ballroom:

Lorelai was sitting idly at the table, stealing momentary glances at the entrance. Not even food could provide the distraction she so longed for.

"Lorelai sweetie, you've hardly touched your food! You feelin alright doll?" Babette was noticeably worried.

This sudden attention broke Lorelai out of her trance, "Huh, oh no, I mean - yes Babette, I feel perfectly fine, just tired I guess."

"Nonsense dear, the party hasn't even begun yet!" Patty chimed, as she stole a glance at the entrance herself, a smile widening across her face. "On second thought, I think it just started!" Patty winked at the others. Lorelai hesitated before turning around, her heart slightly a flutter.

Luke cautiously entered the Ballroom like a nervous schoolboy. He too was blown away by the spectacle before him. Luke was looking rather dapper indeed. Cleanly-shaven and dressed very respectably in a suit jacket and tie, he was more than prepared for the night's festivities.

Lorelai couldn't help but stare at this tall, dark and handsome figure from afar. God, if he looks this good from a distance – I can only imagine...Whoa, Lorelai stopped herself mid-thought. What a night to have raging hormones!

Sookie noticed Lorelai's fixed attention on Luke and smiled warmly to herself. Patty wasn't as subtle, "Lorelai dear, stop drooling!" she smirked.

She snapped out of it for the second time that evening, her face unreasonably flushed. "And just what exactly are you insinuating Patty?" Lorelai slyly retorted. She didn't wait for a response as she abruptly rose from the table. She walked purposefully, toward...the ladies room.

Just as Lorelai made her quick exit, (perfect timing by the way,) Luke suddenly acknowledged the familiar Star's Hollow crew and started towards them. He seemed somewhat displeased as he approached; perhaps he had finally noticed a certain person's absence.

"Luke you're a regular fox!" Babette and Patty agreed in unison. "Break me off a piece of that!" Babette added.

Luke rolled his eyes, desperately seeking relief. He looked to Sookie and Jackson for just that.

Jackson politely offered Luke his seat as he made his way to the buffet a third time. Sookie smiled devilishly at the diner owner now turned GQ model. Luke felt like a piece of meat thrown to a pack of starving wolves.

He turned to Rory next and found some relief. The two talked briefly before Sookie interrupted them,

"She's in the ladies room." Simply stated, but she made her point.

Luke merely nodded in return. At long last he had achieved complete relief.

He allowed himself to think about Nicole then, but deep down his mind was occupied with thoughts involving Lorelai, those eyes, that hair – those lips that he had nearly tasted and yet he tasted them now. Luke was hungry... for food – he decided to pay a visit to the buffet himself.

"Leaving so soon?" Patty inquired, this time Guido rolled his eyes. Who was this woman anyway? Luke continued on his way, still lost in thought.

By the time Luke had filled his plate, Jackson had returned to the table leaving only Lorelai's empty seat. Luke didn't want to intrude; in fact he wanted to go far, far away from all the crazy kooks. He found an empty table in the corner, away from all the hustle and bustle. Great minds think alike.

Try as he might, Luke couldn't eat a morsel of food – his stomach was in knots...the anticipation was killing him. What was taking her so long? Why did women always choose the most inopportune moments to freshen-up? Luke assumed that was what Lorelai was doing – what the hell did freshen-up mean anyway? He needed to stretch his legs, he needed to get some air – the balcony was calling.

Lorelai was just finishing up in the ladies room. She felt ill and nervous and excited all at once, but mostly ill. She needed some air – the balcony was calling.

Luke passed through elegant glass doors and walked out into the night. The air was cold and crisp, yet incredibly inviting. My but Alaska was an enchanting place. Luke leaned over the balcony and stared at the ocean below. He embraced the solitude. Lorelai slowly made her way through the glass doors; now she too could experience the peaceful beauty of Alaska. Luke felt stinging warmth on the back of his neck that made him shiver. He felt a presence behind him and turned around immediately. He was stunned by his discovery. Lorelai caught her breath as Luke looked her over from head to toe – just as Rory had, but he was examining her in a lustful way.

He attempted to break the silence first, "You, you're...you look – my god, you're beautiful!"

Lorelai had become a shade of red as striking as her dress – the one that Luke hadn't been able to take his eyes off. "Luke – thanks...you look, you, you - look pretty good yourself." She struggled to speak; her breathing was laboured.

Luke laughed a little. Lorelai rarely ever strained to speak – well, she never did. This was a rare occasion. His laughter seemed to break the tension.

"What's so funny?" Lorelai asked curiously. She received so much enjoyment from the sound of his laughter.

"Oh, its just – the Lorelai I know is never at a loss for words. This is certainly an exclusive occurrence." Luke was still smiling as he spoke.

"Well you caught me off-guard, that's all – I mean, I thought I was going to be alone out here." Lorelai was speaking softly.

"You'll never be alone." Luke surprised himself with this sudden revelation. Even more surprising was Lorelai's reaction, like she expected him to say those words.

"I don't want to be alone," she returned. The space between them was becoming thinner.

"You're not alone. I'm right here. I'll always be here." Luke was inching closer to her by the second.

"Luke...I, I can't breathe." His hands were cupping her face and his eyes were staring deep into her sole.

"Lorelai, I want you – I want you so bad it hurts." Luke leaned in and the inevitable was about to happen.

"You've got me," was all Lorelai could manage between breaths. She too leaned in.

Their lips touched, softly at first as he slowly grazed over her mouth. Luke slid his hands around her back and pressed his body against hers. They both moaned and opened their hungry mouths to each other. Their tongues and their bodies were beautifully intertwined. Everything else in the world at that precise moment failed to matter, failed to exist.

Wow! – I'm getting a little hot and bothered here myself! I better cool down – perhaps I'll take a polar plunge!

Things are heating up my friends!! Keep the reviews flowin and I'll keep the boat rockin!!

P.S: REVIEWS RULE!!!


	19. The Circle Of Loathe

Wow! Thanks for all your incredibly motivating reviews!! I thought it was high time for some steaminess and romance!! Patience is always rewarded - and so are Reviews!!!

Now, back to the story:

-They remained that way for some time, their bodies locked together in an exquisite embrace. Lorelai was powerless – like a rag doll in Luke's strong arms. Her knees were weak, yet her heart was longing. Oxygen was incredibly necessary at this moment, but neither would dare disrupt their position.

Without warning, a green-faced Jackson innocently crossed the threshold to the balcony and bore witness to the overwhelming affection on display. He was undoubtedly suffering from a severe bout of seasickness, yet his curiosity far outweighed his ill health.

Lorelai noticed Jackson immediately and pulled away from Luke. Both took advantage of their separation and inhaled deeply, terrified to look their unexpected visitor in the eye; terrified to look each other in the eye. Silence fell over them. Luke and Jackson pretended to cough at exactly the same instance, both trying to alleviate the awkwardness, but instead adding to it. Actually, it was a rather humorous occurrence. Silence once again loomed its ugly head, and Lorelai decided she'd had enough.

"Uh, Jackson...I don't know what you saw, or what you thought you saw just now...but you need to promise me you wont breath a word of this to the others!" Lorelai's tone was quite serious. Luke nodded his head, as if in agreement with Lorelai.

Jackson nervously replied, "Lorelai, I, I never meant to intrude...I felt really sick all of a sudd..." Jackson abruptly turned towards the ledge of the balcony and dispelled the contents of his stomach.

"Gross!" Luke and Lorelai chimed in unison. It was nauseating indeed.

Jackson turned to his friends once again, his face pale yet relieved. "I'm sorry guys – what I was trying to say is that your secret is safe with m..." As if on cue, Jackson emptied his stomach for a second time that evening. Lorelai went to the patient's aid; Luke stood back, still in disgust and fighting back nausea himself.

Pandemonium finally reached the balcony as the inevitable happened; the excess Star's Hollow characters made their timely entrance. Sookie ran to Jackson, while the others nosily observed. They naturally wondered why the unique combination of Luke, Lorelai and Jackson were out here together in the first place. Everyone was speaking at once – each offering his or her own remedy for Jackson's ailment.

"Jackson, baby – I'm here!" A near-sobbing Sookie rubbed her husband's back, acting as though he were suffering from a stroke and not simply an upset stomach. Luke couldn't help but smile at the scenario before him – it was bedlam. He couldn't help but smile remembering the events that had occurred prior to this outburst as well. Kissing Lorelai had been more exceptional than his wildest dreams.

Meanwhile:

Nicole had reluctantly entered the Ballroom. She was dressed to the nines, not so much for herself, but to outmatch Lorelai of course. Nicole surveyed the spectacular room, unable to locate the whereabouts of a certain individual. She wore a glamorous golden silk gown that was delicately draped across her body, and a frown that was not so delicately draped across her face. She found it rather warm, perhaps due to the mass of people and the innumerable lights streaming from every angle. Nicole decided to venture outside for a breath of air...

When Nicole caught sight of the others she rolled her eyes in exasperation. So much for a romantic getaway – the entire town of Star's Hollow apparently followed Luke wherever he went. He owned a diner for god's sake - he wasn't freaking Wolfgang Puck! What perturbed Nicole even further was the fact that Lorelai was in Luke's immediate vicinity at that precise moment.

When the others caught sight of Nicole they hastily turned from their distraction (Jackson) and stared guiltily at the woman. Patty as always, opened the conversation.

"Nicole, don't you look lovely this evening." Now she felt ill for paying such a compliment.

"What exactly is going on here?" Nicole inquired, ignoring Patty's flattering remark. Her attention was focused specifically on Luke and Lorelai.

Nicole wanted answers and she wanted them now. She was a businesswoman in every sense of the word. Lorelai took the reigns and tried to explain the situation as best she could. "Nicole... uh Jackson – well, he was sick and uh – we thought fresh air was the uh, best remedy – and..." she was cut off.

"Oh," interrupted Nicole, "And I guess it takes an entire army to tend to a seasick man! How many of you are there anyway?" Nicole examined the crowd and noticed a new face. "And who the hell is that guy?" She was of course referring to Guido.

"That GUY just so happens to be my date for the Ball and his NAME is Guido!" Patty was getting testy. Guido was amused.

Nicole turned again to Lorelai, ignoring Patty for the second time. "Do you townspeople make it a practice to meddle in other people's affairs? You have no right to be on this cruise ship! – None of you do!"

Luke was unimpressed by Nicole's tone. He quickly grabbed her by the hand and escorted her to the adjacent side of the balcony.

"Good riddance!" Patty snidely announced.

Nicole overheard – well, she was meant to. "I beg your pardon?" she glared loathingly at Patty.

"You heard me!" Patty boomed. "I will not tolerate such rudeness, especially when it's directed towards my friends!"

"Ha! Patty, you are the epitome of rudeness!" Nicole snapped back.

"Oooh – did your lawyer friends teach yah that one?" Babette came to Patty's aid. This was becoming a catfight.

By this point Jackson had completely drained his body of all contents. He and Sookie returned to the Ballroom to restore his fluids. Rory accompanied them, pleased to escape the anarchy. Morey and Guido were mesmerized by the display of raw womanpower before them. Luke was incredibly embarrassed and Lorelai was rather bored.

"I have done nothing to deserve this abhorrent treatment! You are the most vile women I have ever met!" Nicole was getting nasty; nastier that is.

"You brought this on yourself – you wretch of a woman!" Patty squawked. "You can dish it out but you sure as hell can't take it!" Babette added.

"That's it! I can't take this ANYMORE!" Nicole stormed back into the Ballroom, leaving a trail of lightning behind her." Luke defiantly remained on the balcony perhaps a little longer than he should have. In all truth, he had no desire to follow her at that particular moment.

Patty, Babette and the boys victoriously made their way into the Ballroom once more. And finally we were back where we started – Luke and Lorelai together in peaceful solitude.

That's all for now folks... I love to leave ya hangin!

PLEASE REVIEW!!! – It makes me happy AND when I'm happy so are my Characters!

Happy Characters mean Juicy Plotlines – Woohoo!


	20. One Dance Till Midnight

Ok folks, the wait is finally over! Now, allow yourself to be transported once more to the enchanting Alaska – where dreams really do come true! P.S: More Reviews Make For Sweeter Dreams!!

...So there they were, and there they stood, desperately trying to make sense of it all. Lorelai and Luke, Luke and Lorelai – gosh their names sounded good together. So much had happened in the last twenty minutes, it was hard to get one's head around it.

Luke alleviated the silence, perhaps prematurely, "Lorelai...I, well I – I'm sorry." He instantly regretted the words as they departed his mouth.

Lorelai was incredibly confused. She wondered aloud, "Why are you apologizing? Is there...is there something wrong?"

Luke was tired of darting around the issue. The only way to resolve their concerns was to approach the subject directly. "Lorelai, I'm not apologizing – I mean, I am. – Oh hell...we kissed!" That was indeed direct.

Lorelai was startled by Luke's forwardness. For a split second, she forgot herself and spoke completely from the heart. She was taking Luke's lead "We did – we did kiss...and it was a great kiss – amazingly great!" She smiled as she spoke, yet her tone was quite serious.

Luke couldn't hide his smile either. "It was amazing...beyond amazing!" Luke paused briefly to admire Lorelai's reaction, then continued earnestly, "But – it... well the timing, and Nicole – I mean..."

Finally it hit her - like a ton of bricks. Oh god, what about Nicole? Luke was still rambling on about something, but Lorelai was far too consumed with thoughts of Nicole and feelings of guilt to even acknowledge him.

Luke continued, despite recognizing Lorelai's obvious distraction. "Nicole had no right to say the things she said – to behave so irrationally...it just reinforces my questions about our relationship." He was on a tangent; no sense stopping him now, "We've grown apart somehow. Things started out great mind you, but she just became so possessive and jealous – always accusing and never accepting what was right in front of her." Luke was completely draining himself of emotions. He had most definitely surpassed his word limit of the day. "I guess...I, well – I guess I'm guilty of the same thing..." now he was struggling to find the words, "I never accepted what was right in front of me either...all these years – I never accepted the possibility of you, of us – together...until now," he was of course referring to Lorelai and he looked at her expectantly.

Lorelai was suddenly interested in Luke's endless babble. She caught just enough to know that she had caught too much. "Luke, we can't do this now...we both need time to think – let's just think about things first." She was being rather adult about this.

Luke knew Lorelai was right. He wasn't being fair to Nicole – he needed to face her like a man and explain his true feelings. "You're right Lorelai. I have to go take care of some things – but I really want to see you again, tonight..." Luke was interrupted by the sound of an "Unchained Melody" echoing from the ballroom. The party had officially started as the orchestra lit up the stage. This particular song had always been a favourite of his, though he would never admit it.

Lorelai too was entranced by the music. She wanted so desperately to dance – and it didn't help that Luke was standing conveniently close by, with that hair, and that face... and that body. This may have been her only opportunity to dance all evening, and she seized it.

Time seemed to stand still for a brief moment, as Luke and Lorelai naturally gravitated toward each other. They held one another close, swaying gently to the music.

"Lorelai," Luke whispered in her ear, his warm breath awakening her soul, "Promise me something..." he waited in anticipation for her answer.

"Anything," she blissfully sighed.

"Meet me on the Captain's deck at midnight." The Captain's Deck was the top deck of the ship, where the arctic air was chilling and the sunsets were plentiful.

"Alright," she agreed, a little quickly I might add.

"Aren't you going to ask why?" Even Luke thought she was hasty in her decision. Lorelai returned him a sly glance – that's all it took. He continued, "If either of us doesn't show, then we'll forget that any of this ever happened and go on with our lives as normal." Luke knew that he would be there, with God as his witness.

"Ooooh how very "An Affair To Remember" – so midnight it is." Lorelai knew that she would be there.

Luke grinned at her reference. "Just don't pull a 'Deborah Kerr' on me!" he was quite serious. And by the way, it was very impressive that Luke recognized Lorelai's reference in the first place!

"You can pull a 'Cary Grant' on me any day!" Lorelai devilishly countered. Luke smiled again; he was doing that a lot lately.

The song had officially ended several minutes prior to the conclusion of their conversation. With one last sway, they reluctantly separated. Luke winked at her as she departed the balcony and reacquainted herself with the ballroom.

Until midnight then...

Aargh! I hate to end things there – but alas, I must! The next chapter is already in the works and believe me, it's a dandy!! – Stay tuned!

Please Review – Don't be shy – Give me my medicine!!!


	21. Pants Panic

Thanks for the reviews folks – This story may very well be the death of me! Nevertheless, I am determined to see it through and I truly hope that my devoted fans will stick around for the ride!!

P.S: Reviews are always appreciated!

Now then, on with the story -

Lorelai had once more settled herself in the ballroom when she noticed a new and very familiar face had appeared on the scene. It was an annoying face, a rather homely face and certainly pathetic came to mind. Who else besides Kirk would fit this description– and where the dickens had he been up until this point? He had missed one hell of a show! Kirk was steadily approaching Lorelai and she unenthusiastically realized that she had missed her chance to escape – there just wasn't enough time damn it. Instead, Lorelai behaved rather maturely and stood up to greet her fellow Star's Hollowian (I assume that's what they're called as a society).

"Kirk, what a pleasant surpri…Oh God! Oh dear god – Kirk! You, you're…" Lorelai was completely flabbergasted.

"Yes Lorelai, I…"

Lorelai interrupted, "Kirk – you're not wearing any pants!" She could hardly contain herself. It would appear that she hadn't noticed his 'wardrobe malfunction' until now, nor had the other guests (fortunately).

"Well, yes that is true and…"

Again Kirk was cut off, "Kirk, where are your pants?!" Lorelai's volume had increased, so too had her heart rate. And now, to their horror, the quasi-conversation they were sharing and their choice of attire or lack there of, was beginning to draw a crowd.

In all this chaos there was one thing in favour of Kirk, that being his uncharacteristically lengthy dress shirt and its ability to cover most of his bottom half. And thank the lord for underwear – even if it was 'I love Lucy' print!

The crowd was growing, there was much turbulence in the air; guests were laughing, crying and exiting all at once. Lorelai, being the quick thinker that she was, hastily grabbed Kirk by the hand and escorted him far away from prying eyes. She led him into a dark and quiet corridor of the ship and attempted to regain her composure.

Kirk spoke first, "Lorelai," he began, "I didn't know what to do…I mean my mother usually helps me to dress and – well I wanted to look really great tonight, cause who knows – I might have met someone…"

Lorelai was desperately trying to keep a straight face. "Kirk, is there a point to this?"

Kirk continued, "I thought I should at least press my pants…and the iron…it burns – look what it did to me! I respect my mother now more than ever!" Kirk looked as though he were about to cry. The iron had barely left a mark on his palm.

Lorelai struggled to speak; the laughter was building inside her. "Kirk, where are your pants now? No, wait – where is the iron?" Most important matters first thought Lorelai.

Her question was met with confusion, "Well, I ran to the bathroom to immerse my hand in water. Mother always said 'cold water will cure whatever ails yah'…but I think I left my hand under the tap for too long because I started getting delirious – and my hand was numb, probably frostbite – and then I collapsed on the floor because the pain was all too much!"

Lorelai had officially lost it. Her laughter echoed throughout the dark hall. "Kirk," she could barely utter, "How about we go to your room and see about those pants, hmm?" She giggled some more. The word 'pants' would forever have new meaning to her.

Kirk agreed all too quickly, however as the two walked in the direction of his room, and hers for that matter (lest we forget their adjacent placing), he didn't resist the opportunity to point out Lorelai's audacity, "I'm so glad that you receive so much joy from my suffering."

"Kirk, you must admit, this story is a little bizarre, even for you!" she defended herself.

Kirk seemed to concur; yet his pace quickened. Finally they reached Promenade deck #7 and Kirk's humble dwelling. He entered first naturally; he had the key. Upon first inspection, Lorelai was amazed by how tidy the room was. With Kirk she expected complete bedlam.

Kirk stood noticeably back from the iron that lay on the floor in front of the bathroom. The water from the 'evil iron' had left a trail to the foot of his bed and was still hot to the touch Lorelai remarked as she placed it atop the board. So the iron had been found, but there was still the matter of Kirk's pants, and boy did Lorelai desperately yearn to find their whereabouts.

"Kirk, for the last time, where are your pants?" Lorelai was growing tired of the song and dance routine.

"Uh, I think I threw them under my bed at some point…" Lorelai didn't even question his logic on this one.

She quickly made her way to the bed, bent down and reached blindly underneath it. Victoriously she grasped what she thought were two objects, pants and something smooth, like a magazine…Slowly she removed the items from their hiding place and rose to her feet before completely observing them. The pants were on top and she threw those to Kirk as she allowed her eyes to drift to the second object.

Kirk screeched as he discovered the item that Lorelai possessed in her hands. He dove to retrieve his precious 'reading material' before he could be mocked for the 27th time that day, but he was merely a fraction too late…

Lorelai cringed in disgust upon viewing the latest copy of 'Bad Girls In The Nude' and threw the atrocity to the floor. "Kirk, what is this?!"

Kirk was incredibly embarrassed and yet defensive, "What? Even I have needs Lorelai!"

"Whatever Kirk. Let's just get these pants ironed and get the hell out of here before I have to burn my eyes!" There were no words to express the emotion Lorelai was feeling at that moment, no nice words at least.

Twenty painful minutes later the task was complete, Kirk was fully dressed and the tension had somewhat cleared from the air. The time was 11:45pm and Lorelai grinned in nervous anticipation of her planned meeting with Luke. She reached for the door handle, struggled with it and froze in disbelief.

Kirk thought nothing of her difficulty, "Here, allow me. This door can be kinda tricky sometimes." Kirk stretched his neck and shoulders in attempt to display his 'macho-quality' and approached the door. Kirk too struggled then began his impersonation of an FBI Agent; let's say 'Mulder'. In other words, he was slamming his body against the door, desperately trying to break its seal, but to no avail.

Lorelai was beside herself, Kirk was destroying himself and the two of them together were TRAPPED as the clock struck 12…

WOW, now how about that CLIFFHANGER eh? What's gonna happen next?

Gosh I just don't know if I can take it – the anticipation is killing me!! Soon my friends, soon…

Review with much passion and I shall write with even more passion!


	22. Fire, Crowbars and Sleepovers, Oh My!

Thanks for the wonderful reviews gang!!

I do this for you, and for me…and for the good of all humankind! Now hold on tight cause it's about to get hot in here!!!

Meanwhile:

Luke and Nicole were in the midst of a heated discussion in their cabin

"I can't believe that you associate with such vile people. That Patty especially – vile, vile woman."

"Nicole, surely you don't mean that – I mean, Patty is a little overbearing at times, but… that's besides the point. This isn't about her or anyone else. This is about you and me and why I don't think we should see each other anymore." It hurt Luke to say it, but he spoke truly from the heart.

Nicole's anger overshadowed the pain she was feeling. She was beyond angry, furious even, at Luke, at the townsfolk, and yes, at Lorelai – most definitely Lorelai.

"I'll be damned if I'm going to allow you to end our relationship this way. I have far greater motive to end this than you Luke Danes. You've lied to me from day one!"

Luke was startled by her candour and more specifically her accusations. He hadn't expected this to turn into a yelling match, perhaps he should have. "What do you mean I lied to you? What the hell is that supposed to mean exactly?" Luke was letting his temper get the better of him.

"The whole time Luke…the whole time. You've been in love with her and you just dragged me along for the ride." Nicole's eyes were welling up.

Luke paused a little too long before responding, "I'm sorry if that's what you think Nicole, but you're wrong. I loved you and you never believed I did. Nothing was ever good enough for you, nothing ever will be – not with me in the picture."

Both adults had strained themselves and took comfort in the silence that ensued. Their argument seemed to have fizzled out, so too their relationship.

"Luke, just answer me this," Nicole began, "Do you have feelings for Lorelai?" Nicole waited briefly, "I'm not asking this to hurt you or to bring out any more demons…I just need to know – I just need closure." She was being sincere; she was being genuine.

Luke thought it best to be up front with Nicole, it was the least she deserved. "Yes Nicole…yes I have feelings for Lorelai." It was the first time he had uttered those words out loud and he felt tremendous relief.

Nicole had expected that answer and yet it stunned her still, hearing the words exit his mouth with such truth and conviction behind them. Her voice quivered as she spoke, "Thanks…thank-you Luke, for being…for…thanks."

"Thank you Nicole…for understanding. I never meant to hurt you."

"I know Luke. I know." Nicole carefully walked towards Luke, taking his hands into her own and embracing him one last time.

"I've already taken the liberty of asking the Captain's permission to depart the ship," she whispered into his ear. She had apparently been busy, following her dramatic exit from the ballroom. More notably, she had anticipated the outcome of her argument with Luke quite prematurely.

"What? Nicole no – I don't want you to leave…we paid for this cruise. And we only have four more days…"

Nicole interjected, "I told the Captain that my mother was ill and I needed to be with her at this time. He wholeheartedly agreed and permitted me to leave tomorrow morning." Either Nicole was very manipulative, or the Captain was very trusting – maybe both. "We'll be making a special dock on one of the Aleutian Islands. I have arranged for a private plane to meet me there, and the rest is just icing on the cake," she tried to smile.

Luke was always impressed by Nicole's attention to detail and her no-nonsense approach to things. It was what attracted him to her in the first place. There was no sense disputing with her. After all, she was a lawyer. "I'll miss you Nicole and I wish you all the best. You're a fine woman. Any guy would be lucky to have you."

Finally, a smile. "I'll miss you too Luke…and tell Lorelai the next time she decides to follow you on a trip, to make sure it's someplace warm! God, what were we thinking about when we decided on Alaska? It's like living in a freezer 24/7! I'll be quite relieved when I'm on solid, warm ground, thank-you."

Luke couldn't help but laugh. "Good night Nicole – and goodbye." Luke started towards the door then turned around, "The trip was your idea ya know?"

"Worst idea ever," she laughed. "Goodbye Luke Danes."

Luke closed the door behind him, and thus ended a chapter of his life. They had parted on amiable terms, and that pleased Luke more than anything. He glanced at his watch. The time was 11:54pm. Smiling, he walked briskly towards the Captain's Deck and what he hoped, the next chapter of his life. He arrived casually to the place of meeting at precisely 12 midnight. He didn't seem at all alarmed by Lorelai's absence. Naturally, because she was late for everything…

12:05 - Kirk's Cabin Scene Two:

"Kirk for the last time, I don't care about your stupid magazine. I just want to get out of here!" Lorelai was incredibly irritated and the clock was still ticking. "I thought you said that you called someone for assistance?"

"I did. My voice must not have sounded urgent enough. I've always had problems expressing emotion."

Lorelai rolled her eyes and grumbled something to herself. "Kirk gimme the damn phone. If my voice doesn't sound urgent then I'm not worthy of bearing the 'Gilmore' name.

Kirk threw her the phone (it was cordless) and Lorelai dialed the main lobby for assistance – yes even cruise ships have lobbies. "Hello, yes we did call earlier…uh huh, yes – but you…but I…ok, alright – bye now." The conversation was worthy of an Oscar.

"So…?" inquired Kirk

"So - nothing! They said someone will be here to help us as soon as possible." There was anger in her voice

"Exactly what they told me, but you had to check for yourself because Kirk can't do anything right!"

Lorelai continued, completely ignoring Kirk's latest rant, "Apparently they have a more important situation on their hands," Lorelai stated with much sarcasm. "Seems that there is a small fire in one of the kitchens. I swear, if Sookie caused that fire…"

"Why are you in such a hurry to leave anyway? Is it the magazine? I hate that the magazine has come between us like this!"

"GOD! Kirk you are impossible. The only thing that has come between 'us' and will ever be between 'us' is this damn door! And if you say another word about that magazine…I'll start a little fire of my own in here!"

12:20 – Scene Three:

"…And that's why I never learned how to ride a bicycle." Kirk sighed, tears in his eyes.

"Compelling – I think you should write a novel…then I can burn it too!" Lorelai was behaving quite wretchedly, but Kirk could bring that out in the best of people.

12:45 – Scene Four:

"That's it – it's over…he's gone and now he'll never know how I truly feel." Lorelai was heartbroken. She knew how dissapointed Luke would be, standing there all alone, waiting and wondering…and hoping.

"Lorelai, what are you talking about? Just tell me what's wrong. I used to write an advice column, maybe I can help."

Lorelai was stunned. "_You _used to write an advice column? Who were you advising – dogs?"

"Sometimes yes…anything to feed the presses." Kirk was certainly an odd fellow…very, very odd.

She gave in, "Alright Kirk, you wanna know the real story, here goes…"

1:00am – Scene Five:

"And so here we are…right back where we started. Luke in one place and me in another. It's like the God's are against us or something." Lorelai had shared the entireity of their story with Kirk. Well, what else was there to do?

"Wow – I had no idea. Can Luke really dance?" Kirk was being Kirk again.

"Seriously, I need to get out of here while I have an ounce of sanity left! I need to go – I need to get to Luke. I need a freakin crow bar so I can kill that satanic door!" She started to cry then; she slid to the floor and rested her head against the door. There was nothing she could do, and that's what hurt the most. The feeling of utter helplessness.

Kirk went to her side…

1:00am – Captain's Deck:

Luke's patience was wearing thin, his confidence even thinner. He took one last glance around the premises and trudged away towards the confines of his cabin. Oh crap, that possibility was no longer an option he realized. Luke had forfeited all cabin rights to Nicole just moments ago. He would need to find alternate sleeping arrangements. The hurt, the frustration and the anger was almost too much to bear. How could Lorelai do this? Was this it? Had they come this far only to let it slip away once more? Luke was determined to get some answers. He wasn't ready to give up on Lorelai just yet. But he would sleep on it. He was far too drained at this moment to have another argument.

Jackson and Sookie's room was definitely not an option, nor was Babette and Morey's. Patty – certainly not…Oh no, that left Kirk, dear old Kirk, just the man Luke wanted to share a room with – this was a dream come true! Ha, Luke laughed aloud, yet he shrugged his shoulders and accepted his fate. It's just one night, he thought, by tomorrow night everything will be peachy again. And yes, Luke said peachy…well he at least thought the word.

So, with great hesitation, Luke began to walk in the direction of Kirk's cabin…

It doesn't get any better than this, does it folks! I'm so excited I just might not get to sleep tonight! Maybe some REVIEWS will help me rest a little easier so I can keep up my writing strength (wink, wink)


	23. Tool Time

The Reviews are definitely rockin the boat ya'll!

Keep it up – I'm lovin it!

I bet some of you are wondering how Luke knows where Kirk's cabin is…well, let's just say that Lorelai begrudgingly shared those details with him in one of their prior conversations.

And now, let the games begin!

Kirk's Cabin:

Although blood sweat and tears had been shed, a calm finally took hold of the cabin and the trapped troopers shared a moment of peace with one another.

"You know Kirk, you amaze me. You can be quite sensitive, even tolerable at times," Lorelai remarked.

Kirk sat next to her. He had been a great comfort to Lorelai in her moment of weakness.

"Thanks Lorelai…and thanks for helping me with my pants. I guess it's my fault you're here in the first place…damn iron," Kirk looked to his hands then and he felt the pain all over again.

"Please don't remind me of that Kirk – we're bonding here, kinda. Anyway, I never want to see or hear of your pants again, understood?"

"But you do want me to wear pants?" Kirk asked dumbly.

"Dear god YES! Don't ever leave home without em!"

"I'll never take them off!" Kirk was being a little eccentric…but then again, maybe not.

Lorelai was about to respond, but thought better of it. Her mind once again floated to Luke, only this time she was second-guessing herself. What if she had it all wrong? What if Luke never intended to meet her at the Captain's Deck? Suddenly, being trapped wasn't such a bad deal after all. Possibly it had saved her from disappointment. But she was disappointed…there were too many what-ifs.

Luke walked slowly. He was in no hurry to greet his potential roommate, although he knew Kirk would fervently approve of the situation. Sometimes Luke wondered about Kirk. He was at the diner an awful lot and he always seemed rather eager to talk to Luke, to share stories with him and to ask him advice on anything from toilet paper to bananas. Naw – Luke said to himself as he was nearing his destination.

Finally he arrived at Promenade deck #7. Kirk's door was just in front of him. He rapped on it softly. At the same time he looked directly behind him and noted Lorelai's door. He hated that door right now – he couldn't help it.

The knock on the door had startled both Kirk and Lorelai. The two of them immediately jumped to their feet anticipating their rescue.

"Kirk? You in there Kirk?" Luke knocked again, louder this time.

Now Lorelai's stomach took a turn at jumping. She knew that voice too well.

"Luke?" Kirk asked.

"Kirk?" Luke repeated.

"Luke?" Lorelai joined in.

"Lorelai?" Luke was stunned.

"Luke get us outta here!" screamed Lorelai.

"Lorelai, what's going on? Kirk what did you do?" It was a fair question. "Open the door Kirk, let me in!"

"Luke, we're trapped! The stupid door is jammed, but supposedly there's people coming for us – Ha, fat chance! Seriously, has the world forgotten the very principles of customer service…I mean god, I pay for a cruise and I can't even enjoy it cause I'm locked in a room with a guy who has a really sick hobby and some serious pants issues…and I'm going insane!" Rambling was Lorelai's specialty.

Luke's heart softened. "So, you've been here the whole time? I thought you…I mean I didn't know…" Luke couldn't find the words. Lorelai found too many. They were a good match.

"I would have been there Luke, you know that don't you?"

"I hoped you would…I waited for you…"

"So you were there?" Lorelai interrupted, her heart fluttered.

"Of course, why wouldn't I be?"

Kirk was beginning to feel like a fly on the wall. And it seemed a little absurd to be having such an intimate conversation through a door, but effective nonetheless.

"Well, I dunno, I guess I just thought that you might have changed your mind…but you didn't?" Lorelai was still unsure.

"No way. I've never been so sure of anything." He spoke the truth.

Lorelai couldn't help but smile. She had finally found something solid, something real.

"So Luke, how're things?" Kirk wanted in on some chitchat.

"Kirk? Are you still there?" Luke had forgotten. Poor Kirk.

"Uh, I think I'll go take a hot bath…give you two some privacy." Kirk's offering was very kind.

"Oh god! Kirk – don't even think about removing those clothes!" Lorelai was indeed horrified at the possibility of naked Kirk…pant-less Kirk was bad enough.

"Well I wasn't planning on giving a floorshow – but if that's what you'd prefer, then…"Now Kirk was baiting her. How cheeky.

"Serenity now, serenity now!" Lorelai shouted in disbelief.

Luke couldn't help but laugh. This was better than dinner theatre and he didn't even have a visual!

"Luke you have to do something. I can't handle this anymore!" Lorelai was pleading with him.

Luke wanted nothing more than to hold Lorelai at that moment, to tell her how he felt about her and to spend the rest of his days proving it. He wasn't going to waste another second.

"I'll do whatever it takes to get you out of there! I'm going to find some tools." He'd do anything for Lorelai.

"Dirty!" Lorelai teased as if on cue.

"Lorelai!" Luke groaned. He should have seen it coming.

Lorelai giggled, "Hurry back Luke!"

Luke was a very determined individual when he wanted to be. He started out on his journey with every intention of being the hero. He was going to burst through that door, grab the woman he loved and kiss her until the break of dawn. Ok, maybe Luke had been reading too many romance novels. He had secrets too you know.

During his travels, Luke came upon a few helpful Star's Hollow folk of all people. Sookie and Jackson were enjoying a starlit night on the observation deck and recognized Luke immediately. After a brief explanation, they were more than willing to aid Luke in his quest. So too were Patty, Babette and Morey. The three were chatting amicably at a further point along the observation deck. Guido had mysteriously disappeared, lucky for him.

So there you had it; Luke, Patty, Babette, Morey, Sookie and Jackson were about to perform a small miracle. Luke resented them for tagging along, but truth is, he knew he needed all the help he could get. Doors could be tricky business. There was still the matter of tools though – perhaps they would magically appear like all these wonderful Star's Hollow characters…

So ends yet another lovely chapter. But don't worry, things will soon be wrapped up in a neat little package…or will they?

You'll have to read to find out!

Stay tuned and Review!!!


	24. D Day

Thanks once again for all your splendid reviews! I shall never grow tired of them!

Now, take a deep breath, relax and enjoy the show!

D-Day:

The Star's Hollow crew walked with great purpose and indignation. That door was messing with the wrong people. It was Jackson who came up with the brilliant plan, the plan that would surely breed victory.

"I have an idea," said Jackson. The others listened with fervour. "I have a cousin that's really into carpentry…"

"Oh fabulous darling," Patty interrupted, "Now is your cousin on the ship, and what does this cousin look like?" Man she was horny.

"It's not Rune, is it? Sookie fearfully questioned.

"Oh god, I hated that guy!" Babette chimed in.

"Will you people just listen for one second?!" Jackson was infuriated, "It's my cousin Gwen. She knows a lot about architecture and doors are her specialty."

"Rats," mumbled Patty. When the others looked on she feigned innocence. "I mean, that's wonderful Jackson, do go on," she laughed nervously.

"Well, as I was saying," Jackson continued, "Gwen often spoke of a fool-proof substance that she concocted. It could break the seal on any door…" he paused, "I guess I should have said this earlier, but Gwen isn't exactly a carpenter…she's, well…she's a professional thief." It shook him to say it.

"What?" Luke and Sookie simultaneously snapped.

"This story is becoming more interesting by the minute!" Patty clucked.

"She's part of a gang of thieves actually, they break into homes and steal things, specifically lamps. They have a fetish for antique lamps. Apparently they do well at auction. Gwen is the 'door expert' – once the seal is broken, they can pull off the robbery without a hitch. I know it's illegal and all, but I don't have the heart to turn her in. She's a good person, she really is." Jackson acted as though he was trying to convince himself rather than his audience.

"What the hell are we waiting for then?!" Babette shouted. "Let's break this damn door!" She was a 'less talk, more action' kind of woman.

"Hold on a sec, what exactly is this 'substance' comprised of?" inquired Luke, the only level headed one in the bunch.

"It's a mixture of toothpaste, nail polish and lemon juice." Jackson replied.

Luke seemed slightly sceptical…well, entirely sceptical, but that was Luke. "Where exactly are we going to get these items?"

"Darling, what woman doesn't own a bottle of nail polish? And as for toothpaste, I should hope we all have that at our disposal." Patty was half a block away from sounding rude.

"I can 'borrow' some lemon juice from the kitchen…I have a key!" screeched Sookie with delight.

"God help us!" mumbled Babette.

"Alright then, Sookie is in charge of the lemon juice, Patty and Babette are in charge of the nail polish, and Morey is in charge of the toothpaste. Jackson and I will meet everyone at Kirk's door in twenty minutes – ok?" Luke instructed.

"Ok," everyone agreed.

Once the others had departed the premises, Luke and Jackson stared blankly at one another, unsure of their next move.

"So, I guess we wait then." Jackson's statement sounded more like a question than anything else.

"Yep, we wait," agreed Luke. He was a man of few words.

Another awkward pause…

"Um, I wonder how the others are doing?" Jackson hated awkward.

"They're fine." Luke hated awkward more.

Jackson tried another approach, making light of the situation, "I wonder how Lorelai is holding up. Poor thing being stuck with Kirk…I don't know if I could last as long as she has!"

Jackson's words somehow struck a nerve, "Nicole and I broke up. She's leaving the ship and I have to bunk with Kirk and…and…I kissed Lorelai…I'm in love with her Jackson."

Jackson simply smiled and grabbed Luke's hand shaking it firmly. "Best of luck my friend. Lorelai is an incredible woman and you deserve every happiness." That was nice, and unexpected.

Luke was taken aback. "Uh – thanks Jackson. Thanks…for everything." They were bonding.

"You bet Luke – I only hope that this stuff will work. I think it will, but…I just want you to know, that I'm in it till the end buddy!"

Luke looked at Jackson with confusion written all over his face, "Jackson, this isn't Independence Day, we're talking about a door here!"

"Heh, heh – yeah I just take my job very seriously." The nervous tension had returned.

Luke was tired of waiting. "Ok Jackson, I'm going to head down to Kirk's and see if anyone is there yet. You stay here for a few minutes longer, in case anybody needs a hand."

"Sure thing Luke…and Luke?"

"Yeah?"

"Make sure you tell her." Enough said.

Luke smiled and headed towards his destination.

D-Day: 5 minutes till crunch time.

Patty and Babette eagerly greeted Luke upon his return to Promenade deck #7. Morey and Sookie arrived moments later. Everything seemed to be going according to plan.

"Luke? Is that you? Please get us out of here…I'm starting to hallucinate again!" That was obviously Kirk.

"Yeah, I'm here Kirk – we'll get you out of there in no time!" Luke's voice was reassuring.

"But how? Others have tried and failed, this door is too strong…it will kill you!" He was delusional.

"No one has tried or failed – no one has even attempted cause they're all too damn busy with that damn kitchen fire! Where the hell is Sookie by the way?" Lorelai snidely questioned.

"I'm right here hon," replied Sookie. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh, no reason," she felt a twinge of guilt.

Jackson finally made his glorious entrance as the crowd was beginning to grow restless, and thus, D-day was upon us.

"Ok gang, I've got a bucket and a shovel! Let the games begin!" Jackson was enjoying this far too much.

The mixture was completed in a matter of minutes. Jackson scooped a decent amount of the substance on his shovel (it was a small shovel) and applied it to the door's seal. Immediately, the seal began to wear. The Star's Hollow crew looked on in quiet amazement.

"I wonder what they're doing," Kirk whispered to Lorelai.

"As long as it works, I couldn't care less," quipped Lorelai.

Jackson repeated the process several times, applying the mixture to the entire length of the door. The seal continued to weaken, but it refused to break.

"I think we'll just have to do the rest ourselves!" Jackson stated.

"Allow me," Morey, of all people replied. "Everybody stand back!"

He took a deep breath, then a small hop, and slammed his body against the door. Nothing. Then Jackson had a go at it. Still nothing.

"Earthquake!" screamed Kirk.

"Kirk, honey – it's just the guys trying to break the door. Nothing to worry about!" Lorelai did her best to comfort the crazed man.

Rory was sound asleep inside the Gilmore cabin – only she could sleep through Hurricane Hollow! They were making enough noise to wake the dead Those cabins must have been sound proof, although the Star's Hollow inhabitants occupied the majority of the rooms on Promenade deck #7 and they were quite awake.

Everyone's focus had suddenly turned to Luke. He merely rolled his eyes and casually approached the door. He gave one solid push and the door collapsed inwardly with an enormous thud.

Once the dust had settled, the room erupted with cheers and laughter. Hugs and smiles were warmly exchanged.

Luke and Lorelai wholeheartedly embraced while the others looked on in amusement. If only they could have some privacy, to determine once and for all, their true feelings for one another. But how?

If they could break a door, anything was possible…

And thus, another chapter has ended – but never fear my dears, the next and perhaps FINAL chapter will make all your dreams and your wildest fantasies come true!!!

Please READ and REVIEW – It makes the world a better place!


	25. The Love Boat

THIS is the chapter to end all chapters – the Big Kahuna if you will! Never before and never again will you be exposed to such drama, romance and life-altering bliss!

I wanted to go out with a bang - and I believe I have!

Enjoy my friends, enjoy!

Order had finally been restored to Kirk's cabin:

The Star's Hollow bunch were busily chatting and reminiscing about the experiences they had shared.

Luke and Lorelai meanwhile couldn't keep their eyes off each other.

"I say this calls for champagne!" Patty announced.

The others hastily agreed – a little too hasty.

3:00am - Let the festivities begin!

Conveniently, each room featured a wine rack stocked daily with the finest brews. Sookie retrieved a lovely bottle of 'Dom Perignon' for their pleasure. And no, she wasn't going to drink any – but she could hold it if she wanted to! Babette located some glasses, nothing fancy, but they'd do just fine.

Jackson insistently removed the bottle from Sookie's hands, poured the beverages and led everyone in a toast; "Here's to the most eventful vacation we've ever had!"

Everyone drank to that. An African Safari would have been a bore compared to this cruise. Kirk had always wanted to go on an African Safari – maybe next year.

"It's been one hell of a trip and we still have four days left! I guess we all have Luke to thank for this," Babette kindly remarked. All eyes turned to Luke at that moment, expecting a response.

Luke obeyed their glances, "Uh, well - I'm glad you guys are here." It pained Luke to say it, to admit his feelings, but sometimes the truth hurt. "I'm really glad." Luke's gaze drifted to Lorelai then. It was an unmistakable gesture and most of the room caught on.

A few minutes passed as people began to settle nicely into the furniture and the alcohol. Luke was trapped, sitting on Kirk's bed between Patty and Sookie; Lorelai sat on the end of a couch featuring Babette and Morey. The possibility of privacy was fading away with time. Luke wanted so desperately to be alone with Lorelai and to escape the confines of Kirk's cabin. He wondered how they could make an inconspicuous exit, yet his ideas were becoming as scarce as the champagne.

It was a night, or early day rather, for celebrating. Everyone was sharing stories and delighting in others. Most of the conversation seemed to involve 'love' in some aspect. Sookie and Jackson spoke of their first encounter and eventual relationship that blossomed into an exquisite marriage – and now with a baby on the way. They really had the picture perfect life; the 'whole package,' as Lorelai defined it.

Patty appropriately assumed the spotlight then and shared her first and perhaps truest story of love with the others. She had fallen for a man, a much older man with a love for entertainment. He introduced her to the 'stage' and she treasured every moment they spent together.

"I never told Charles how I truly felt," Patty admitted, tears edging her eyes. "I was afraid what others might think, what they would say if they knew our age difference, how it might affect Charles' career…but I loved him. I loved him and I didn't care who knew it!" There wasn't a dry eye in sight. Sookie was literally blubbering.

"I wish I could have said those exact words to him…before he left my life forever. He moved to California to pursue his acting career, and he took my heart with him." Patty looked to the others, swallowed hard and concluded, "If you truly love someone…don't wait. Love is a precious gift, not to be wasted." Those were wise words from a worldly woman. Patty's story had impacted everyone in the room, especially Luke…

Sometimes there are moments in our lives where we lose all self-control and are fuelled by the passion inside our souls. For Luke, this was such a time.

"Lorelai, I've been racking my brain trying to figure out how to find a moment alone with you. But I don't need to be alone – I've wasted too much time already being alone…"

All the tears had dried up and now faces were plastered with shock and anticipation.

"I love you Lorelai…and I don't care who knows it!"

Lorelai could hardly breathe; her body had frozen in time.

Luke couldn't stop now, he wouldn't stop, "I'm in love with you…I always have been – I always will be. I know you're the one for me; you're the only one for me."

Jaws dropped simultaneously. Lorelai was again rendered speechless.

"But it's ok if you don't love me," Luke continued.

"Luke," Lorelai attempted to interject, her heart pounding at a fierce rate.

He persisted, "You don't have to pretend to, you don't have to say or do anything,"

"Luke," she tried again.

"I just – I just want to be with you…"

"Luke – will you just shut-up for a second?!" The room grew silent at this sudden outburst. Luke certainly hadn't expected that response.

Lorelai paused to regain her composure. She wasn't used to having to fight to get a word in edgewise, with Luke especially. She took a deep breath, allowing his words to sink in. Now it was her turn. "Luke, the day you poured my first cup of coffee, I knew. When you built me a chuppah, I knew. Every time you give me a shoulder to lean on, or show kindness to Rory, I can't help but love you. I was yours then and I'm yours now."

Luke and Lorelai slowly rose to their feet and walked toward each other, fingers tingling, smiles beaming. Everyone in the room looked on in silent admiration and sheer thrill.

"You surprise me – there's a side to you that only I can see – I cherish that," Lorelai practically whispered as Luke slid his hands around her body.

"You keep me young, you're the reason I wake up every morning," Luke shakily returned as Lorelai's hands slid around his neck.

"You keep me grounded, you're my rock," Lorelai barely uttered as Luke's mouth enveloped hers. She grew weak in his arms, growing weaker with every touch. Luke held her tight to his body and kissed her with every fibre of his being. They had lost all sense of reality; they had lost themselves completely in each other.

"Well it's about damn time!" I knew that story would knock some sense into you two!" Patty gloated with delight. That woman would use any tactic necessary.

Everyone laughed except Kirk who had a terrible expression on his face. "So you made up that whole story?!" his question was obviously directed towards Patty.

"Kirk, my darling, a lady never kisses and tells!" Patty smiled wickedly, refocusing her attention on Luke and Lorelai and their increasingly compromising position.

Love was in the air -

Sookie raised her eyebrows suggestively to Jackson who immediately got the hint. "Uh, Sookie and I, uh – well we, we're leaving now…" It was no secret what they were about to do, both exiting the room with passion in their eyes.

Babette and Morey soon followed suit, "Morey get your ass in gear, the night is still young!" Babette poetically stated. Their departure made way for Patty to do the same.

"I wonder where Guido is? Man he looked sexy in that suit jacket of his! Excuse me for a moment…" Patty gracefully sauntered away leaving Kirk to his own devices.

Luke and Lorelai separated briefly and noticed the room's occupancy had depleted quite significantly. They also noted Kirk's undeterred presence. Luke took Lorelai's hand in his and led her to the doorway, "C'mon, I'm going to take you someplace special."

Lorelai genuinely smiled her approval, Luke and Kirk exchanged nods and the happy couple were off on yet another adventure.

Kirk looked around the empty room; he was alone and scared…

Things were finally back to normal – only BETTER!

THE END

Thus, the journey has concluded – I do hope you all have enjoyed reading this story as much as I've enjoyed writing it!

I am currently writing a second story – the writers gene flows deep within my blood – and perhaps, a sequel to this very story may be inevitable!

Nevertheless, do stay tuned!

Thanks again for your Support!!!


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